Apa State creation: Abba Moro avoiding my calls, he’s disrespecting me – Benue Deputy Speaker, Lami

Benue Deputy Speaker, Lami Ogenyi, has fired back at Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, for accusing her of refusing to support the agitation for the creation of Apa State

IDOMA VOICE reports that there are ongoing clamours across the country for the creation of additional states.

The people of Benue South have been agitating for the creation of Apa State from present day Benue State.

This is just as the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro (Benue South), has sent a draft for the creation of Apa State to the constitution review committee to that effect.

Moro made this known recently during a recent virtual meeting with Idomas in the diaspora.
Speaking during the meeting monitored by IDOMA VOICE, Abba said the draft got the endorsement of the nine local government chairmen in the senatorial district and ⅔ of members of the Benue State House of Assembly.

He, however, lamented that the Benue State Deputy Speaker, who represents Ado State Constituency, Danladi Lami Ogenyi, refused to sign “for reasons best known to her.”

The development has angered Idoma people who are now dragging the Deputy Speaker for betraying her people due to party politics.

Coordinator of Idoma Youth Political Vanguard, Samson Okpe, in a statement described Lami’s action as shameful.

“This is a betrayal of the highest order. Lami Ogenyi has failed her people. Party politics should not come before the welfare of the people. She must explain her reasons for refusing to support Apa State.

“The people of Benue South deserve their own state. Lami Ogenyi’s refusal to support this is a disappointment. Her actions are shameful. She has let her people down.

“What are her reasons for refusing to support Apa State? The people deserve an explanation. This is a classic case of political selfishness.

“The creation of Apa State is long overdue. Lami Ogenyi’s refusal to support this is a setback for the people of Benue South.”

Reacting, however, the Deputy Speaker in a statement on Friday, described Abba’s comment as false and misleading.

She said Moro has been avoiding her calls and attempts to form synergy with him for the greater good of Idoma land.

She said, “The Idoma people should know that, Senator Moro has never called the Deputy Speaker since she assumed office neither responded to her several calls for synergy for development. It was one Francis Ijiga that sent a message to the Deputy Speaker’s Whatsapp Number. It reads; “please go through the memo above, snap your signature specimen and send it to me through this Whatsapp number to enable us use it on the original hard copy to be submitted in Abuja.”

“When the Deputy Speaker went through the said ‘Memo’ neither her name, constituency or office was mentioned among those personalities to sign the Memo for the Senator.

“The Deputy Speaker wonders why she should sign on a piece of paper for unknown person when the Senator has her number, office address. She became suspicious of the moves to tarnish her image and that of her party leader in the state, the Executive Governor of Benue, His Excellency Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia whom the Senator is fighting.

“As a loyal party woman to the Governor and the masses, she had a second look at the Memo which carried all the names and office of the public figures they want them to sign.

“The Deputy Speaker look at the message from Francis Ijiga as an attempt by the Senator to disrespect her because she is a woman occupying the hallowed office.

“The Deputy Speaker want to make it clear that, she is in support of the creation of Apa State through genuine means and not through proxy and media propaganda as the Senator is going about it and using it indirectly to campaign for himself and preferred candidate for 2027 who will work against the People’s Governor, Alia.

“All Idoma should disregard the senator’s statement as mere rhetorics of politics and nothing more than campaign of calumny.” [sic].