BENUE STATE: GOVERNOR SUSWAN TAKES A SWIPE AT ORTOM

The war of words between the former Governor of Benue state,Gabriel Suswam  and Governor Samuel Ortom might not be ending anytime soon.

Leadership Newspapers reports that Suswam, on his social media page, dissed Governor Ortom, and said Benue state did well, during his tenure as Governor.

An excerpt of the statement, obtained from  Leadership Newspapers, reads “When I assumed office as the fourth Executive Governor of the state, I had a deep passion burning in me which largely derived from the quality of exposure and orientation I had acquired from eight years of robust political leadership participation at the National Assembly as a frontline member of the House of Representatives. There I came face to face with the realities of leadership as being a matter of uncompromising determination fuelled by deeply-insighted vision. I had also acquired a rich store of social collateral attended by a sufficient degree of gravitas such as armed me to the hilt for the office of governor.

“About salary arrears, during the campaigns, I told the people that on assumption of office, I had, without prompting from any quarters whatsoever, increased the wages of workers in the state when I discovered those wages were pathetically low. I had consistently paid the workers their wages for almost eight years without fail, until the slump in national earnings from crude sells forced on my administration an inability to pay salaries as consistently as I had done, and this was not a situation exclusive to Benue State alone, but it was same for 28 other states.”

He also said “Unfortunately, the APC and Ortom, in their desperation for votes, chose instead to manipulate the people by telling them lies that I didn’t pay salaries just because I had corner the monies for my own use, and that I was the only governor owing workers salaries in the country. Today, the reality has dawned on everyone. I did not owe workers salaries out of choice, but because I just couldn’t do otherwise with the dwindling accruals from the federal allocations and this was a nationwide problem.

“Today, the APC and Ortom are faced with the naked and ugly reality of going before the people and telling them the truth that they lied to them, that they were dishonest and cheated their way to power. Instead of doing this, they have chosen again to be manipulative by seeking to mislead the people to accept that the situation on ground can be given the name associated to me. And I ask, will there be no end to the manipulations and deceit of the APC and Ortom in this state? Can they not for once be honest to the people?”