2019: Ortom training militias with AK-47, Benue APC leaders alleges

By Yemi Itodo

Stakeholders of All Progressive Congress (APC) in Benue State, have accused Governor Samuel Ortom of training armed militias in the state ahead of 2019 general elections.

At a world press conference in Abuja on Friday, the APC leaders also alleged that, Ortom was harassing APC members of the State House of Assembly and local government chairmen who refused to defect with him to Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Former Governor of the state and leader of the stakeholders, Senator George Akume, who spoke on behalf of the forum, also condemned the recent suspension of 3 local government council chairmen, stressing that it was illegal.

“We are calling on the Local Government Chairmen who defected to PDP to quietly vacate their seats else we shall seek declaratory orders against them in the law courts.

“We also call on the Federal Ministry of Finance to as a matter of urgency cease the release of Federation Allocation to Benue State as it affects the 13 defected local government and 3 suspended Chairmen totaling 16 out of 23 local government councils in the state”, Akume said.

He said, “apart from recruiting and arming militia in order to cause mayhem in the 2019 general elections, Ortom has continued to use his Livestock Guards and Vigilante Group to harass and intimidate APC supporters across the State, particularly those who have refused to defect with him to the PDP.

“Nigerians may wish to recall that in January 2018, Soldiers of the 93 Battalion in Takum Area of Taraba State had arrested nine members of the Benue State Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) which was later renamed Livestock Guards with AK-47 riffles. The arrested members of the group are still in custody of the security agencies.

“We therefore call on security agencies to check the activities of these groups as we gear up to the 2019 general elections. Also, the Governor is pressuring the Police Authorities in Abuja to post a notorious Police officer who had worked in Benue State Command, was indicted and transferred to Imo State Command, as his Chief Security Officer (CSO).

“The whole idea is for the CSO to recruit and train “bad boys” against 2019. Many of the area boys who had vanished when the Governor was still in the APC have resurfaced now that he has gone back to his own vomit, the PDP”.

The APC leaders also accused the governor of pilfering “N23bn of state funds and N33bn of local government funds”, in addition to over N28bn bailout funds, “without clearing the arrears of salaries of workers and pensioners”.

On the crisis in Benue State House of Assembly, the APC leaders alleged that the governor “instigated and orchestrated the unlawful removal of the leadership of the Benue State House of Assembly led by Rt. Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange. In accordance with the Benue State House of Assembly Standing Rules, when the House of Assembly is on recess and a matter of urgent importance arises and there is a need to reconvene the House, it is only the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker acting on the instructions of the Speaker that can reconvene the House.

“The House had, on July 10, 2018 adjourned sitting till August 15, 2018. The Governor on Tuesday, July 24, 2018 illegally caused an emergency sitting of the Assembly wherein some members of the House wrote a letter to the Clerk and reconvened the House and purportedly sacked the Rt. Hon. Ikyange-led leadership of the House”.

The APC leaders therefore, called on the federal government to investigate “the stockpiling of fire arms by Governor Samuel Ortom in preparation for the 2019 general elections”, adding that, “the arrest of Alhaji Aliyu Tershaku, the Commander of Livestock Guards and cousin to Governor Ortom is further proof of these fears”.

They also passed vote of confidence on President Muhammad Buhari, urging Nigerians to “support his re-election bid in 2019 to enable him continue with the program of repositioning Nigeria among the comity of nations”.

In a swift reaction, Governor Ortom denied arming or training any militia group in Benue State.

Speaking with our correspondent Friday night, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Terver Akase, said, the APC leaders were rather trying to divert the attention of Benue people at the same time acting the script of their partner, “the Myetti Allah”.

He said the party “APC is working for the interest of Myetti Allah”, whom he described as enemies of Benue people.

On the suspension of 3 council chairmen, Akase said, “the governor has no hands in what happened at the Assembly. The House of Assembly is a different tier of government”, insisting that due process was followed by the lawmakers, though he added the chairmen have not been found guilty yet.

Akase said full reactions to the above allegations shall be made available to newsmen in later hours.