Benue State Government has reacted to a press statement credited to the Benue State chapter of All Progressives Congress, APC in which the party said it will no longer take part in stakeholders meetings organized by the State Government.
Governor Ortom says he has no problems with the decision of the party to stay away from government events.
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In a statement by his chief press secretary Terver Akase the Governor recalled that when he took the mantle of leadership, he promised to be the Governor of every Benue person who will at all times make them part of policy formulation, decisions and programmes of government.
Noting that he has kept that promise in the last six years.
“Whenever the Governor is to meet with stakeholders to deliberate on critical issues of governance, all segments of the state including political parties are invited.
If APC in Benue State has great ideas to help the state to grow, as it claims, the stakeholders meeting offers the party ample opportunity to present its “good ideas” for the benefit of the state.
The sentiment they raised on the proposed privatization of government owned enterprises is a jaundiced argument. “The statement read in part.
He maintained that Benue is one of the very few states still keeping moribund companies in an era when the private sector is driving industrialization across the country and the rest of the world.
Adding that only recently, Cross River State which is an APC controlled state put up over 40 state-owned industries for privatization.
Ortom futher stated that the absence of the party from the Benue stakeholders meeting will neither affect the meeting nor stop the deliberations and implementation of resolutions that will be made at the forum.
“Extending invitation to APC to be part of government activities does no favour to the Ortom administration.
The opposition party should rather commend the Governor’s magnanimous disposition to involve it in government functions despite the daily insults they hurl at his person and office.
If APC cared so much about Benue people that it now grandstands over invitation to a meeting meant for development of the state, what has the party done to alleviate the suffering of over one million people displaced in the state as a result of herdsmen attacks? The same people who brought the party to power in 2015 have been abandoned by its members in the state.”He added.
The Governor hoped that APC’s emotion-laden statement to boycott the stakeholders meeting is not borne out of the recent defection of thousands of its members into Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Benue State.
Ortom gave assurance that his administration will continue to address challenges confronting the people and involve them in all government decisions.
