The Tiv Youth Council Worldwide has asked Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State to stop attacking President Muhammadu Buhari and concentrate on the provision of good governance and responsible leadership to the people of the state.
The group, in a statement signed by its president, Mike Msuaan, wondered why the Governor who has been unable to provide dividends of democracy for his people would be playing the role of a busy body by using the name of the president to make headlines at any slightest opportunity.
The Tiv group described the accusations leveled against the president by the governor as hypocrisy driven to a rather ridiculous height.
The statement said: “It is curious that the governor who has used apparatus of state to intimidate critics from interrogating his inability to provide basic amenities for the people of Benue will turn round to accuse the president of intimidating critics.
“Just recently Atsar Gundu who has been a virulent critic of the Governor was arrested in a gestapo manner and remanded in prison without trial for several months.
“The governor like no other in the history of the state is currently in court with several other citizens of the state all in a bid to gag public outcry against his dismal performance”
On the allegations of corruption leveled against aides of the president, the group stated that although it was not holding brief for the president, the governor should be reminded that his principal private secretary, Steven Amase and his Adviser on works and housing, Emmanuel Manger, are currently charged to court for corruption to the tune of 4.7 billion.
“Recently, the State BISEC chairman Mr Loko was dragged to court by the EFCC for misappropriation of about 500 million,” the group added.
“We expect the governor to get busy with fashioning out a solution to the militia killings in Katsina-Ala, Ukum and Logo local government areas of the state.
“The protracted communal crisis in Bonta, Konshisha LGA and Oju has led to the destruction of several lives and property worth millions of Naira. The ongoing Ipiav and Yandev communal clashes in Gboko LGA are many other crisis should get a chief executive busy.”
While responding to allegations of President Buhari addressing the audience in Chatham House in the build up to the 2015 elections, Mr Msuaan asked the governor if he still remembered how he cried in the churches over the suffering of workers and the inability of his predecessor to pay workers.
According to the group, the situation is now worst under Mr Ortom, with workers not even considered to enjoy the minimum wage.
The group, while commending President Buhari and the security agencies, urged them not to be deterred by such statements but to sustain the onslaught against all criminals and agents of distabilization in the country.
