The Benue State Government has denied insinuations credited to a socio-cultural organisation known as the Ochetoha K’Idoma National Forum wherein it reportedly levelled allegations against Governor, Samuel Ortom, accusing him of interferring in the selection of the Och’Idoma-elect.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor Nathaniel Ikyur argued that the Governor had no hand in the selection process of any traditional ruler or Chiefs, either in Idoma Traditional area or Tiv Traditional area.
“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.”The statement read in part.
He maintained that the allegations by the Ochetoha K’Idoma against Governor Samuel Ortom is therefore baseless, unfounded and unnecessary.
The Governors spokesman said 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.
According to him the statement is also intended to cause strife, destroy and pitch the Tiv against their Idoma brother and should not be tolerated.
“It also beats our imagination for AVM Adokwu and his co-travelers how they tried to belittle the Benue State House of Assembly that included the full compliment 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.”He added.
He maintained that this campaign of calumny and prejudicial name-calling of the Governor is vexatious, callous, and therefore completely uncalled for, and should be discountenanced by all well-meaning people of Idoma extraction and indeed Benue State.
The Idoma socio-cultural Organization known as OchetohaK’Idoma had rejected what it tagged as an imposition the new emergence of Och’Idoma-elect.
The organization, in a statement signed by its President, AVM. Toni Adokwu (Rtd), and made available to newsmen on Sunday described the selection process as a sham alleging that traditional rulers who formed the selection committee were threatened with sack if they failed to vote for government’s preferred candidate.
On the 30th of December, last year John Elaigwu Odogbo emerged Ochi Idoma-elect after polling 19 out of the total of 28 votes cast, a seemingly hitch-free exercise which is now generating controversy.
( Editor, Omor Bazuaye )
