Open Letter To Chief Samuel Ortom: While You Left Part 1

Msugh Iorwase Armstrong writes the immediate past governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom on contemporary developments in the state.

Dear sir,

Good day. Please allow me to proceed without the customary formalities, in deference to your exceptional stature and the urgency of the issue at hand.

Chief Samuel Ortom, I had initially planned to write to you earlier, but due to other commitments and my attention being focused on the events unfolding in Benue State, I was unable to do so. Today marks the second anniversary of your tenure as Governor of Benue State coming to an end, after serving two terms.

Two years after your tenure as governor ended, numerous developments have occurred; permit me, Your Excellency, to brief you on the recent events in Benue state, please lend me your ear, Sir;

1. Nyamkyume, recall the incident during your tenure as Governor, where you attended a church service and were prevented from speaking by a priest, citing the church’s tradition of not allowing politicians to address the congregation during mass. Your humility in complying with the priest’s instructions was noteworthy, particularly given your position as Governor. This incident stands in contrast to your experiences in other church services, where bishops of the same denomination were present and you were permitted to speak.

2. However, it has become apparent that the church and its leaders, whom you held in high esteem during your governorship, are no longer accorded the same respect and value by your successor, Governor Hyacinth Iormen Alia. Under his administration, the church is facing severe persecution and attack.

3. Chief Ortom, the people of Benue were shocked when our Governor prohibited church gatherings, purportedly as part of a ban on political gatherings.1. In Tswue, Mbaikyase, Shangev-Tiv, Konshisha LGA, the Konshisha local government chairman reportedly disrupted a church service utilizing an unauthorized military vehicle accompanied by heavily armed soldiers, evoking a battalion confronting external aggression, as if Nigeria were at war.

4. In Gwer-West, Senator Chief Titus Zam announced a Thanksgiving service in Naka, but Hon. Victor Ormin, the local government chairman, issued a circular prohibiting the event, citing the Governor’s ban on public gatherings, including church services.

5. Worshiping in churches has become contentious in Benue state under the leadership of a governor who is also a priest.

6. Benue state, under the administration of His Excellency, remains the sole state yet to settle salary arrears, now that President Bola Tinubu has removed the petrol subsidy.

7. Despite the removal of subsidies, Benue has been receiving significant financial allocations, unlike the meager resources available during your governorship, yet you achieved considerable progress for the people.

8. It is disheartening to   note that your successor has prioritized party interests over the welfare and security of the Benue people, a responsibility he swore to uphold.

9. Following the Masev incident, Governor Alia’s response was to accuse the Masev people of cattle rustling, purportedly justifying the Fulani reprisal attacks, rather than offering condolences to the affected families.

10. Chief Samuel Ortom, you may be astonished to learn that the Villa De La Estate, unveiled by your successor, exists only as a concept, with no physical foundation or structure in place.

11. The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have been abandoned, without access to essential necessities like food and shelter, as the rainy season resumes. The Governor’s promise to resettle them in their ancestral homes within his first 100 days in office remains unfulfilled, leaving them vulnerable to the elements.

12. Judgment has been reserved by the EFCC against your predecessor, Sen. Gabriel Torwua Suswam, and there is a strong possibility that he may face imprisonment, although I do not intend to anticipate the court’s decision.

13. Suswam is reportedly contemplating a defection from the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, the platform that facilitated his rise to prominence, to join the ADC, a coalition of individuals with dubious intentions for Nigerians.

14. The Underpass Project, despite its inauguration over two years ago, remains incomplete and has become a symbol of stagnation, rather than progress, with water from the High-Level Underpass causing damage to nearby houses, effectively transforming it into a stagnant dam.

15. Chief Ortom, your successor who is also a priest appears to have a combative nature, currently engaging in conflicts with various individuals, including those who supported his gubernatorial bid.

16. Austin Agada, chairman of the All Progressive Party, APC in Benue state, was recently assaulted when attempting to enter the party secretariat, with reports indicating he was stoned by okada riders.

17. The APC in Benue state has ceased holding party meetings at their secretariat, instead convening at the Makurdi residence of Sen. George Akume, the party leader in Benue and North central, Nigeria, due to concerns about potential violence.

18. Your Excellency, the Benue state Governor was recently assaulted by  angry youth in Ukum Local Government Area, who prevented him from disembarking from his vehicle. According to media reports, the youth stated that the attacks, which resulted in numerous fatalities, could have been averted if the governor had responded to security intelligence.

19. Killings have become increasingly frequent since your departure from office, with the Governor’s failure to publicly address the issue, despite extensive media coverage, being particularly concerning.

20. Additionally, our Governor has levied unfounded accusations against the Benue people, labeling them as thieves and claiming that they are responsible for stealing cattle from the Fulanis, which he asserts is the reason for the ongoing violence.

21. The Benue state House of Assembly members are now convening at the Government House in Makurdi, rather than their chamber, and are seated on plastic chairs.

22. Alia has assigned 90% of key appointments to individuals from his native Kunav community.

23. The implementation of our fundamental Anti-open grazing law has been discontinued by your successor. Currently, cattle are openly grazing, causing destruction to farmland, loss of life, and violence against women.

24. Food scarcity is anticipated in the forthcoming year, mainly due to farmers’ limited access to their farmlands, driven by fear of attacks by herdsmen.

25. Your Excellency, you may be surprised to learn that Governor Alia’s sole accomplishment is the completion of a two-room pharmacy shop at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital.

26. The current governance structure is devoid of the rule of law, with the governor issuing administrative decrees and executive orders. Following the Governor’s assumption of office, all accounts belonging to the state government, parastatals, and ministerial departments, MDAs, have been frozen without prior consultation with other government branches. The Governor has not demonstrated respect for existing laws, and there is a noticeable absence of accountability and citizen involvement.

27. Your Excellency as rightly stated by Benue Demonstratic Ambassadors, BEDA in world press conference today in Makurdi “We wish to conclude this address by stating emphatically that we need a new Governor come 2027 in other for us to get accountability, prudence, citizens participation, an available governor and infrastructure, if Benue must live beyond 2027, then, Governor Alia must be replaced”.

Chief Samuel Ortom, I am thankful for your time in reading my letter. I look forward to the pleasure of writing to you again.

Yours faithfully,

Msugh Iorwase Armstrong wrote this letter to Samuel Ortom from Konshisha Local Govt Area, Benue State

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