Ostensibly weighed down by nonpayment of workers’ salary and the invasion of Agatu and other parts of Benue State by Fulani herdsmen, Governor Samuel Ortom, had continued to move from one gaffe to the other, barely one year in the course of governing his state.
In a bid to seek divine solution to the incessant problems bedeviling Benue, Ortom had engaged a select group of clerics from the 23 local government areas of the state to fast and pray over the rampaging Fulani herdsmen attack as well as the dwindling fortunes of the state.
The clerics who hail from different denominations embarked on a 40 day fasting and prayers sessions to seek divine intervention in the affairs of the state, with an invitation to conclude the session at Government House, Markudi on May 29.
As agreed, the clerics comprising 15 from each local government stormed Government House on Friday, May 27th, 2016, where they gathered for a 3 day prayer to conclude the event.
Trouble started for the governor when electricity supply to the Government House suddenly went off while he was addressing the over 300 clerics from different parts of the state.
A cleric told 247ureports.com that the governor immediately ordered for lanterns and torch lights to be lit as the generating sets at the Government House were not in good working condition. He stated that the power cut lasted over 3 hours, even as Ortom personally used one of the torch lights to lit the podium while reading his address.
After waiting over 3 hours without power being restored, some of the clerics began to murmur asking if the situation had gotten to the extent that the Benue government can no longer afford to maintain generating sets.
“We were shocked that as the public power supply went off, total darkness enveloped the Government House. We waited patiently thinking that they will put on the generating set, but all to no avail as the governor’s aides began to lit lanterns and torch lights at all corners of the Government House chapel. It was very embarrassing. When power was restored after 4 hours, the governor couldn’t even apologize to us on the situation.”
247ureports gathered that at the end of the event on May 30, Ortom only managed to dish out a paltry N1,600 each of the clerics who attended the 3 day event at the Government House chapel.
“Imagine that after the 40 days fasting and prayer in our churches and the 3 day conclusion prayer we had at the Government House, we were not offered any good food. It was just a little ration barely enough to save a child from starving. We were only giving N1, 600 each. People came from far flung places like Oju, Obi, Ogbdigbo, Okpokwu and Agatu. It is unfortunate that Benue, the food basket of the nation, had degenerated to this embarrassing extent. We have never had it this bad. Of course, Benue people are already suffering. . If Governor Ortom does not turn a new leaf, there is no doubt that he won’t be re-elected,” another cleric who attended the event from Kwande told our correspondent.
