COVER
Ortom Denies Interference in Selection of New Och’Idoma
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State yesterday cleared the air on the controversy surrounding the selection of the new paramount ruler of the Idoma nation, Pastor John Inalegwu Odogbo.
Elaigwu, a pastor of the Deeper Christian Life Ministry last week, emerged the new Och’Idoma after an election by the Selection Committee comprising of 32 chiefs.
The 52-year-old clergy defeated Andrew Idakwu and Sunday Echono to emerge the new king of Idoma land following the demise of His Royal Highness, Agabaidu Elias Ikoyi Obekpa, who went on hunting expedition on October 10.
However, a group called the Ochetoha K’Idoma National Forum subsequently rejected the Och’Idoma-elect, accusing the state governor of interfering with the selection process.
Reacting to report by the group as signed by one Toni Adokwu, Governor Ortom in a statement issued yesterday by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, said he had no hand in the selection process.
He said in the statement that due process was followed in the selection exercise as contained in the Benue State Council of Chiefs and Traditional Councils Law 2016.
The statement reads, “For the avoidance of doubt, Governor Samuel Ortom has no hand in the selection of any traditional ruler or Chiefs, either in Idoma Traditional Area or Tiv Traditional Area. And at no time did the Governor invite any traditional ruler of Idoma extraction or wheresoever to Government House for the purposes connected to or related to the selection of the new traditional ruler for the Idoma nation. The selection of the new Och’Idoma was based on the legal procedure as enshrined in the legal instruments of the Chieftaincy laws of Benue State.
“Contrary to their false claims, due process was followed in the selection exercise as provided by the Benue State Council of Chiefs and Traditional Councils Law 2016. A highlight of the provisions states that: The Och’Idoma shall be chosen rotationally by a Selection Committee from amongst the Components of Agatu & Apa; Otukpo and Ohimini; Ado Enone (Ado, Ogbadibo and Okpokwu); Igede (Oju and Obi). And from the history, as narrated by members of the Selection, it was the turn of Agatu and Apa to produce the next Och’Idoma.
The Selection Committee consisting of: “In all, there are Four First Class Chiefs, nine Second Class Chiefs and eighteen Third Class Chiefs in Idoma Area Traditional Council. This brings the total number of the Selection Committee in the Idoma Area Traditional Council to 32.
“According to the report by the selection committee, out of this number, twenty-eight members of the total number were present at the selection exercise. The Quorum for the selection is two-third of the membership of the committee.
“The committee reported that five persons presented themselves for the selection exercise. Four were nominated. In the course of dialogue for a consensus candidate, one person stepped down. Three persons went into the election/selection. After the voting process was concluded, a candidate polled 1 vote, another polled 8 votes and the winner polled 19 votes.
“This shows that the selection process was very transparent, fair and free. At least 9 voters did not vote for the winner and none of them can prove that he is victimised. The allegations by the Ochetoha K’Idoma against Governor Samuel Ortom is therefore baseless, unfounded and unnecessary. The authors of the press statement, therefore, acted in error to have dragged the name of the Governor into what is entirely a legal process based on the Benue State Chieftaincy Laws of 2016.
“The tone of the press statement as signed by AVM Toni Adokwu, a retired Military General who should know the implications of inciting public peace after such a transparent process has been concluded was not only set in derogatory language against Governor Ortom but deliberately crafted to cast aspersions on his government. The statement is also intended to cause strife, destroy and pitch the Tiv against their Idoma brothers. This should not be tolerated.
“It also beats our imagination for AVM Adokwu and his co-travellers how they tried to belittle the Benue State House of Assembly that included the full complement of all Idoma representatives in the Assembly.
“The State Legislature followed due process, including public hearing that produced the Benue State Chieftaincy Law 2006 which introduced the unified new first-class, second-class and third-class chiefs in the state.
“Let it be known to AVM Adokwu and his sponsors that the Benue State Chieftaincy Law is not the creation of Governor Ortom or designed to humiliate and subjugate Idoma people. All the traditional rulers and elites in Idoma land, including members of the state assembly who are representatives of the people, are aware of the provisions of the amended chieftaincy law which is the ground norm for the process of the selection of the Och’ Idoma.
“It is this same law that was used in the selection of other Chiefs in Idoma land and is still being used to select Chiefs to fill some vacant stools in Idoma land. For Emphasis, let it be stated here clearly that, no traditional ruler outside of Idoma land participated in the selection process of the new Och’Idoma”.
By David Torough, Abuja
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has revealed plans for a major political coalition involving the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party (LP) to confront what he described as the ‘incompetent and inefficient’ government of President Bola Tinubu.
Atiku made the announcement, while addressing a delegation of stakeholders from the Kogi East Senatorial Zone, led by former Deputy Governor of Kogi State, Simon Achuba, in Abuja. He said he was deeply concerned over the country’s worsening security crisis, blaming the Tinubu administration for its lack of political will to address the issue.Atiku recounted his experience as Vice President during the early days of the Boko Haram insurgency, highlighting how decisive leadership under his administration had temporarily quelled the threat.He stated, “How can leaders remain indifferent while their citizens are being killed? Such apathy is the height of irresponsibility for any political leader, anywhere.“I hold our current leadership accountable for the widespread insecurity plaguing our nation. There is a lack of political will.“Let me remind you of when Boko Haram first emerged in 2002, during our time in office. The president summoned me and asked, ‘Mr Vice President, what should we do about this?’ It began in Yobe. I advised him to call the service chiefs and set a clear deadline: if they couldn’t quell the insurgency, they should resign.“The president summoned the service chiefs, I was present, and issued firm orders. Within weeks, the insurgents in Yobe were subdued, and the threat did not resurface until after we left office.”Atiku also criticized the government’s under-policing strategy, suggesting that unemployed graduates be recruited into the police force to address the security manpower deficit.“We are under-policed. There are not enough police officers in this country, while many educated individuals remain unemployed. Why not recruit them into the police force?” he asked.He emphasized the need for a united front against the current administration, stating, “We are forming a coalition, all major political parties, including the APC, the PDP, and the Labour Party, are involved. This is the only way forward to confront such an incompetent and inefficient government. I assure you of my understanding and full support.”Simon Achuba, who led the delegation, echoed Atiku’s concerns, lamenting the rampant violence, kidnappings, and destruction of communities in the North.He accused the federal government of failing in its constitutional duty to ensure peace and security, urging northern leaders to step up and foster unity within the region.“Unfortunately, the government is doing little to alleviate this crisis, and it is their responsibility, sir. It is the government’s duty to ensure peace and order in our communities.“Yet, in a situation where the government fails to take adequate action, I believe, we believe, that northern leadership must step up,” Achuba said, calling for internal healing and brotherhood among northerners.
By Eze Okechukwu, Abuja
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has said that Nigeria was long overdue for a national census, adding that the exercise would assist the country in national planning.Akpabio made the remarks while playing host to members and management of the National Population Commission(NPC) who visited him in his office to update him on the preparation for the next Census for the country.
Akpabio told his guests: “I don’t want to call it a national disgrace but can I say it’s a national embarrassment that even Nigerians who go outside to represent us in different fora do not know the number of Nigerians. ”Sometimes you will go to some places and they will say 250 million Nigerians. At another place, they will say you people are over 270 million. Some African countries think we are over 300 million.”If you go to places where they are holding retreat now, they are now shrinking from 250 million to 220 million. I think it’s time to bring that confusion to an end.”Any country that fails to know its population has already started to fail in its planning. You cannot truly plan for the future if you don’t know the number of mouths you want to feed. You do not know the number of children that you want to put in schools. You can’t know the number of classroom blocks you will build.”We must plan. Any country that does not plan for its future has already accepted failure. We will be failing the future generation of Nigerians if we do not begin to plan for the future and start the planning of this Census. This Census is important so that we know how many people we are planning for.”Akpabio assured members of the NPC that the National Assembly would support the Commission to succeed.”It is very important that we support you. The National Assembly will support you to succeed. I have no doubt, with the calibre of men and women that I have seen here, that the task that Mr President has given to you, once the proclamation is done, you will rise to the occasion. And I know that the National Assembly, the Senate in particular, will stand by you all the way,” he said.Earlier, the NPC chairman, Nasir Isa Kwarra who led the delegation said the visit was to keep the Senate President abreast of the stage of preparation and seek continued support of the National Assembly for the next Census.”We cannot conduct this Census without your support. So we will continue to count on your support and we want to make Nigerians proud by conducting a very thorough Census that will yield a lot of data that will assist in planning policy formulation and tracking our development,” Kwarra said.
By David Torough, Abuja
Former Governor of Jigawa State, Alhaji Sule Lamido has called on President Bola Tinubu to show courage by closing the chapter of June 12 once and for all.According to him, the payment of the N45 billion debt owed to the family of the late presumed winner of the June 12, 1993, presidential election, Chief Moshood Kashimawo Olawale (MKO) Abiola, would serve as a symbolic and moral closure to the June 12 struggle and Abiola’s unjust treatment following the annulment of the election, widely believed to have been won by the late business mogul.
The former Minister of Foreign Affairs made the call while delivering his closing remarks at the launch of his autobiography, “Being True to Myself,” held yesterday in Abuja.“When (General) Murtala (Muhammed) died, Abiola came in with a claim that he was owed, I think, about N45bn for contracts executed by International Telephone and Telecommunication for the Ministry of Communications. The military high command at that time said no.“He went around the Emirs in the North to lobby, and the Emirs asked that they (the military) should please pay the money. They (the military) said they annulled the June 12 elections because if they made him President, he would take his money, and the country would become bankrupt. Those who were close to Abacha should know this because Abacha was then one of the big shots; they were all aware.”“Before I end my remarks, I want to appeal to President Tinubu to finally close the chapter of June 12. In his book, General Ibrahim Babangida acknowledged that Abiola won the election. When I visited him, he also confirmed that Abiola is owed N45 billion. He was doubly punished: first, denied the presidency; second, denied what is owed to him.”Lamido urged the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Muhammad Idris Malagi, who represented President Tinubu at the event, to deliver the message to the President.“Please tell the President to pay the Abiola family the N45 billion. Once this is done, the June 12 chapter will be closed. It is very important,” he stated.
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