By Peter Duru – Makurdi
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has threatened legal action against the Minister for Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume for leveling allegations of killings and diversion of public funds among others, against him.
The Governor who ,Wednesday, in Makurdi was reacting to last Monday’s press briefing by the Senator Akume and other All Progressive Congress, APC, stakeholders in Abuja described the Senator Akume’s outing as unfortunate.
He said “Senator Akume leveled allegations of killings and several others against me. I do not want to join issues with him. But I have the mandatory right to put the records straight.
“All he said amounts to betrayal, back-stabbing, double crossing, selling out of Benue people, treachery, greed, unfaithfulness and falsehood. All he said were just mere lies just for him to secure his meal ticket from his paymasters but I will not be deterred.
“I remain committed to the people that gave me their mandate to lead them. So to send the massage to the entire world, I have decided to do something so that Akume will justify or prove all those allegations that he put out to defile me and give me a bad name to hang me.
“I am aware of his betrayal and to ensure crisis in Benue state so that his so called state of emergency will be declared. I am not even sure that Akume is conversant with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
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“He attempted to impeach me in 2018 but by the grace of God the people of Benue state floored him. And he performed abysmally and lost his senatorial election. Benue people rejected him and all the people he put forth to contest election. Today l am seated here, my Deputy is here courtesy of Benue people.
“The party I contested election on its platform, the PDP has three senatorial seats, seven House of Representatives members out of 11 and 22 State Assembly members out of 30. So where is Akume and his cohorts? All of them are looking for meal tickets.
“And for his allegations, I know that the Commissioner of Information will clarify those issues based on the position of government and the State Executive Council. But I am taking Senator Akume to court for him to prove all those allegations he leveled against me.
“All he said were all lies, I have not done anything outside the laws of our land. On resources, I have not done anything outside the budget. The figures he was calling were all lies but he would go and prove it in court.
“I am a law abiding citizen so I have chosen that honorable way so as not to join issues with him, otherwise I would have talked about his misdeeds while he served here as governor of Benue state.
“But what pained me is that he was a human being who served two terms as Governor and Senator for three terms representing Benue North West senatorial district where the majority of the people affected by these terrorist activities of herdsmen were his constituents who also voted him as Governor.
“But no time has he visited the IDPs camps in Benue state. No time has he risen as a Minister to condemn all the killings in the state.”
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