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From Rose Ejembi and Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Special Adviser to Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom on Media and Publicity, Terver Akase has stated that the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, is inciting state civil servants and pensioners against government.
Akase was responding to a statement signed by the head of communications of Alia’s campaign organization, Kula Tersoo, in which he sent sympathies to “suffering Benue pensioners and civil servants” over “insensitivity on the part of government.”
Alia, in the said statement, said he was saddened that the senior citizens who served the state and retired in old age were being treated like slaves, describing it as a serious sin against humanity.
However, in a swift response, Akase said Alia’s obsession with Governor Samuel Ortom and his administration is not only ridiculous but also smacks of one who has zero understanding of the workings of government, but is living under the delusion that pulpit popularity will translate to ballot acceptability.
He said; “the statement was another theatric of a conman couched in deceit and treachery with the sole intention of inciting our respected senior citizens and hard working civil servants against the Benue State Government, which has continued to prioritize the welfare of its workforce and retirees despite the challenging economic situation that is a huge burden on states across the country.
“Alia made unfounded claims that the State Government is “insensitive” and is treating civil servants and retirees “like slaves” when, with meagre available resources occasioned by harsh economic realities, the Benue State Government under Governor Ortom has been making relentless efforts to pay workers emoluments and pensions.”
Akase said despite the paucity of funds, Governor Ortom has been working assiduously to clear outstanding salaries, and with the domestication of the PENCOM law, the Benue State Government has already contributed over N5 billion to address the challenge of pensions in the near future.
Also responding, the Publicity Secretary, Peoples PDP, Benue state, Bemgba Iortyom, has said that no amount of sabotage or blackmail by APC will move Governor Ortom from his stand with the people
Iortyom condemned accusations by the APC that the governor has abandoned his primary responsibilities of governance for national politics, with salaries and pensions left unpaid, flood victims neglected, and sanitation in the state capital city, Makurdi in poor condition.
He said recently, the opposition party in the state jubilated over the federal government’s blockage of a N41 billion loan application approved by the Benue House of Assembly which the state sought to clear backlog of salaries and pensions arrears.
“Today, same opposition APC seeks cheaply to weaponise the issue of salaries and pensions against Governor Ortom which their party at the federal level utilises in cruel play of negative politics by blocking access to funds with which to offset those backlogs.”
The state PDP Publicity Secretary said Governor Ortom remains more than ever committed to the security, peace and wellbeing of the Benue man, woman and child, and would not be distracted by any sabotage and blackmail by the APC.
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