Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has said that the outburst of the former Senate President, David Mark in Port Harcourt over his achievements in Benue State was a sign of frustration.
Recall that Mark had earlier mocked Ortom for empowering Benue youths with wheelbarrows. In his word: “While people are commissioning roads, commissioning bridges, commissioning good projects, in my own state, Benue, we are giving out wheel barrows to empower people, so you can compare and contrast.”
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, Ortom who was in Zone C on Saturday to flag off campaign rally for the forthcoming council polls in the state slated for June 3rd, 2017 Said “Today, the journey has started and by the grace of God, on the 3rd of June, 2017, we shall return all our candidates. It is not by human might or power but by the power of the Almighty God that we serve. For He will never disappoint us in Jesus name.
“We started in Zone A. Yesterday we were in Zone B and today we are in Zone C, and since the ban was lifted for people to contest, we have not seen any other political party except APC. That shows that no other party is willing to contest this election. It is unfortunate that PDP is in disarray. I wanted them to come and compete with us because I know that we have the capacity. Without several people who are now with us, we won our elections. How much more now that the likes of Lawani, the likes of Igbago, the likes of Onoja and so many people that have joined us in APC.
“So it is very clear and as I often say, even when it was with pepper we were able to finish the food, how much more now that it is chicken and beneseed. We shall finish the food, lick the plate of the soup until we see ‘made in China.
“I want to thank all of you and to say that the outburst of David Mark in Port Harcourt was a sign of frustration. I used to regard him as an elder statesman but how can an elder statesman be spreading falsehood. Is that right? It is unfortunate. I used to respect him as an elder but what he has done, if I were not a Christian I would not respect him anymore. But I have forgiven David Mark. I have forgiven him for spreading falsehood against me. But he has reduced himself by spreading that falsehood. May God forgive him.
“I want to assure you that this Government is focused. We will never be distracted because we have a mandate with you and a covenant with you to deliver you from Egypt to the land of Cana. I want to assure you that we will continue to lead with God in every thing we do. We will continue to do our best to add value to the development of Benue State.
“We want to assure you that we are going to reduce insecurity in Benue to its barest minimum. Cultism will be a thing of the past, kidnapping will be a thing of the past, armed robbery will be a thing of the past and there will be industrial development because investors are willing to come and invest in Benue.
There shall be no more corruption in Benue State. We are not going to accept it again. The Justice Elizabeth Kpojime Commission of Inquiry report must be implemented to the latter. The N107 billion the commission recommended that 52 persons should refund, they must refund it. All that they are doing is to distract us. We will never be distracted until they return that money. I want to assure you that when that money comes, we shall use it to offset salaries. The total money we are owing as arrears of salaries is not up to thirty billion. We will use part of the money to take over the federal road in this zone and repair it. For more than four years, they have not been able to repair the road even though contract has been awarded.”