Abba Moro knocks Benue Deputy Speaker, Lami for working against creation of Apa State

Senate Minority Leader Abba Moro has criticized Benue State Deputy Speaker Danladi Lami Ogenyi for her position on the ongoing agitation for the creation of Apa State.

The people of Benue South have been advocating for the creation of Apa State from the present-day Benue State. As part of this effort, Senator Moro recently submitted a draft proposal for the creation of Apa State to the constitution review committee. During a recent virtual meeting with Idomas in the diaspora, Moro explained that the draft had received the endorsement of the nine local government chairmen in the senatorial district and two-thirds of the members of the Benue State House of Assembly. However, he lamented that Deputy Speaker Lami, who represents the Ado State Constituency, refused to sign “for reasons best known to her.”

Lami responded by claiming that Senator Moro had been avoiding her calls and attempts to collaborate for the greater good of Idoma land. She also expressed concerns about her signature being used to tarnish Governor Alia’s image.

In a statement released by his media adviser, Emmanuel John Eche-ofun, Senator Moro warned Lami against playing politics with such an important issue.

The statement below;

Unwarranted Lami Ogenyi’s vituperations against the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro

The attention of the senator representing Benue South Senatorial District and Senate Minority Leader, Comrade Abba Moro PhD has been drawn to a tirade by the Deputy Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Lami Ogenyi against him over Apa State creation.

Hon. Lami’s vitriolic and insults-laced statement is in reaction to Senator Moro’s explanation at a virtual meeting with Idomas in the Diaspora when he was asked to tell the audience his efforts so far with Apa State creation. In his response to the probing question, the senator said a memo had been drafted in line with section 8 of the 1999 constitution (as amended) and submitted through him to the Senate Constitution Review Committee. He stated that all the relevant signatories required signed the document except the deputy speaker. Senator Moro stands by fact that all members of the Benue State House of Assembly irrespective of party affiliation signed the request except Hon Lami.

The senator is not a member of the Benue State House of Assembly and it was the leadership of the state house of assembly from Benue South Senatorial District that organized the request.

Hon. Lami, by her position, is the second highest public office holder from Zone C at the state level, after the deputy governor, and is expected to have her signature on an important document as that advocating for the creation of Apa State. Senator Moro only reported the content of the memo. Nothing more.

In the poorly-written and incoherent statement by Madam Lami, she said Abba Moro was supposed to reach out to her personally and not through a third party. As laughable as that claim is, Lami should know that Senator Moro was only a signatory to the said memo and he didn’t reach out to all the other stakeholders who signed the document as that wasn’t his responsibility.

Lami also went ahead to say that she didn’t understand the memo and didn’t want to sign any document that would be used to impeach his governor who, according to her, Senator Moro has been fighting. The deputy speaker’s hallucinating on the request for the creation of Apa State being an instrument to impeach her governor beats Senator Moro’s imagination. But that goes to show why only she refused to sign the request in her imaginary fear that her governor would be impeached if Apa is created. That also shows the quality of representatives we elect.

On her allegation that Senator Moro refused to attend her thanksgiving and fund-raising, the senator is not surprised because from Ado it’s always believed that he doesn’t attend their functions even when he may not have been invited.

We want to urge Hon. Lami to think twice and retrace her steps. Her outburst is needless, unwarranted and very disappointing. She should look closely at Senator Abba Moro’s cycle of friends and associates and she will find so many former deputy speakers in there. She should not allow her current position to get into her head to insult the senator with who she has no meeting point.

If Abba Moro wants to play politics, as alleged, it’s not with Hon. Lami, it would be with a more powerful and influential person. The deputy speaker remains a daughter to the senator and he will continue to see her as a daughter, and not political opponent.

We enjoin her to direct her anger and complaints to those who contacted her for her signature on the all-important memo and who she turned down, and not the senator who’s only a messenger and reporting proceedings to the good people of Benue South who inquired to know more from him about Apa State creation.