Loading ...In 2014 when the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom was given the gubernatorial ticket on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) after he was denied such in Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), I relentlessly campaigned for Ortom. He was a friend to one of my late uncles in the Akem’s family. We chatted on facebook shortly after he got the ticket assuring him of my unflinching support and mobilization of voters for him which I did.
The basic reason I supported Ortom was for him to first take the welfare of Benue civil servants and pensioners as a top priority before other things can follow. As someone who has Oracle Printing Press, he employed many youths whom I knew some whose lives changed positively because of the jobs he gave them in his company.
I felt when he becomes the governor, he would use his business acumen to transform Benue State and set it on the trajectory of development, but this never happened.
I always feel the plight of Benue State civil servants and pensioners. These people are in extreme suffering. Even if Ortom begins to consistently pay them their salaries, without clearing the backlog of salaries, gratuities and pensions, the salaries will not take them anywhere because of the various money they borrowed which they always have deficit whenever he pays them monthly.
If Ortom could make up to N402.05bn in 42 months according to National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) but refused to clear the backlog of salaries, gratuities and pensions now that he still need the votes of Benue State civil servants and pensioners to win will reelection, what guarantee do they have that he will clear such if he is re-elected?
I am not against Ortom, I am only against his amorphous and abysmal leadership. When he won his election in 2015, I congratulated him and I wrote an article titled: “Governor Samuel Ortom, Please Do Not Fail The People Of Benue State”. But the article fell on deaf ears.
When Ortom defected from APC to PDP and claimed that he did not clear the backlog of salaries, gratuities and pensions because of Senator George Akume, he would have used the money available or borrowed money from any source just like he has been doing for his personal interests and at least clear half of them and would have told Benue people that the remaining half would be cleared if re-elected and the people would have believed him and enormously supported his re-election bid. By failing to do so, his re-election is not going to be business as usual. Even if he wins at last, he might have paid the ultimate price.
The reason I refused to work for the media team of Ortom is as a result of his refusal to take the welfare of Benue civil servants and pensioners as a top priority. If he had cleared the backlog of salaries, gratuities and pensions, I won’t have had much problem with him. I would have supported him and even written articles to encourage others to support him, but unfortunately, he failed to deliver.
I have refused to promote the Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello who is in APC because of his refusal to clear the backlog of salaries, gratuities and pensions in Kogi State and he does not deserve re-election just like Ortom. Although Ortom is better than him. I will not support or promote any governor who fails to take the welfare of workers as a top priority regardless of their political affiliations.
The day Ortom will clear the backlog of salaries, gratuities and pensions, I will write an article which will look like an epistolary novel to appreciate him for a job well done.
The reason I am supporting Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Jime to be the governor of Benue State is because I want someone who will take the welfare of Benue civil servants, pensioners and others as a top priority and make whatever sacrifices required for the people of Benue State to sound ebullient and happy which Ortom has so far failed to do.
