Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has fired back at the immediate
past Senate President, David Mark, for recently mocking his government’s
distribution of wheelbarrows to Benue youths, claiming that the
lawmaker’s statement stems from envy.
While commissioning Brick
House and the chapel at government house in Port Harcourt, Rivers state,
Mark was reported as deriding his state governor, Ortom for
distributing wheelbarrows to Benue youths while other governors were
busy constructing roads and bridges
The lawmaker representing
Benue South at the Senate said, “While people are commissioning rods,
commissioning bridges, commissioning good projects, in my own state,
Benue, we are giving out wheel barrows to empower people, so you can
compare and contrast.”
Reacting through a statement issued by his
Chief Press Secretary, Tever Akase, the governor said Mark’s comment
showed that he was only envious of his achievements after failing to
make any impact as number three in the nation for eight years and a
sitting senator for eighteen years.
The statement reads, “We
listened to the comments made by the Senator Representing Benue South
Senatorial District, David Mark at a function in Port Harcourt where he
compared developments in Rivers and Benue States.
“Mark accused
Governor Samuel Ortom of ‘giving out wheelbarrows to empower people’
when, according to him, other states are commissioning projects.
“We
do not intend to belabour the issue of wheelbarrows which we have
already made clarification that the carts were donated by the National
Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons,
NCFRMI, for victims of armed herdsmen attacks in the state. Perhaps only
Senator David Mark is not aware of this fact.
“Mark’s
statements smack of a man who has obviously been disconnected with the
very people who voted him. His utterances also exude envy against
Governor Ortom who is succeeding where Mark has failed. In Benue South
which Senator Mark represents, the Ortom administration has embarked on a
number of projects for the people.
“Agatu which is a local
government area under David Mark’s senatorial district affected by
herdsmen attacks is today peaceful owing to the security initiatives of
Governor Ortom. The people of the area have not hidden their joy and
have been appreciating the Governor for ensuring the return of peace. We
are not aware of any effort Mark has made to curb the crisis as a
serving senator representing the people of that part of the state.
“Senator
Mark certainly owes the people of Benue South an explanation on why the
Otukpo-Enugu federal highway is still a death trap after many years
that the contract was awarded by the government. Mark used the road
project and his perennial promise for the creation of Apa State as
campaign lullabies just to ensure his return to the red chamber of the
senate on five occasions.
“It is rather unfortunate that Mark has
failed to see the deliberate underdevelopment of the state by the
government of his political party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP,
particularly the part of the state which he has represented as senator
for nearly 20 years. It is within the same period that Mark rose to
become President of the Senate, the number three helmsman in the country
for eight uninterrupted years and had ample opportunity to address the
development needs of the people.
“Township roads in Otukpo where
Mark lives anytime he is in the state were abandoned by the PDP
administration with Senator Mark doing nothing for as many years as
their government lasted in power until the All Progressives Congress,
APC, administration assumed office and concerted efforts at addressing
the neglect of the town commenced.”
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