Gov. Ortom Fights Dirty; Prevents Senator Mark From Visiting Oju, Obi * We Shall Meet In Court -Mark Replies.

By Yemi Itodo
All is far from being well between the immediate past Senate President and Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District, Dr. David Mark and the Governor of Benue State, Pastor Samuel Ortom; DayBreak Newspaper is reporting.

Emerging circumstances in recent times prove that the Governor has not gotten over the unpalatable outcome of theFebruary 20th rerun election in Benue South, where the Governor’s party lost

Aside the allegations of arbitrary use of powers and other unholy practices by the Governor during the election; Dr. Ortom was also allegedly linked to suspension of Ad’Ohimini who is currently being punished for receiving Senator Mark when he visited Ohimini LGA.

The suspension of Ad’Ohimini, Chief Dr. John Ochai Ajefu by the Idoma Area Traditional Council did not only demoralise the paramount rulers across the 22 districts of Idoma Kingdom; it also instilled uncommon fears in the hearts of the Chiefs who now view the visit of Senator Mark and other PDP members as potential threat to their job and stools.

This was the case in Oju LGA when the former Senate President visited the area on Tuesday.

Senator Mark and his entourage had arrived Oju in the morning in continuation of the “thank you tour” only to discover that the Oju traditional council under the leadership of Adutu of Igede, Amb. Chief Godwin Ogbu was not sitting at the palace of Adutu but rather choose to wait for the Senator in an obscure and less befitting venue, for the fear of being suspended.

The Local Organising Committee of the ‘thank you tour’ also met brick walls in securing a befitting venue for the reception of the Senator and the people of Oju.

The Committee had earlier written to the authorities of the Oju football stadium where social and public events do hold, but was turned down.

Efforts made by the committee to also secure an open playground was also resisted by the Caretaker Chairman of Oju LGA.

When the committee members pressed to know why public event places could no longer be used to host the former number 3 citizen of Nigeria and the Senator representing the entire Senatorial District, a source close to the LG council (who spoke on the condition of anonymity) disclosed to the committee that the authorities at the stadium, council Chairman and the traditional rulers were acting on the instructions of the state Govenor who allegedly threatened to remove whoever breaches the order.

The event was however hosted in a private residence in the heart of the town where mammoth crowd converged to welcome the Okpokpowulu k’Idoma with the loudest ovation.

SENATOR MARK THREATENS LAW SUIT

Irked by the affrontry of the Council Chairman and the needless war from the occupants of the “Peoples House” in Makurdi, the former President of the Senate, Dr. David Mark has threatened to test the undemocratic and uncivilised action by the APC-led government.

Addressing the mammoth crowd who defied the ‘orders from above’ and thronged out to welcome him in Oju on Tuesday, Senator Mark said it was an unfortunate situation for anyone to prevent his neighbours, albeit the Senator representing the disrict.

“The PDP was in power in Benue for 16 years and for those years we didn’t prevent the then opposition parties from holding events in those places.

“For God’s sake, I am your Senator and as such, it is an unfortunate thing and very uncivilised for anyone to tell you that you should not see me or you would be sanctioned for seeing me.

“I have grown past that age and level but for the sake of intimidation and unending threats against you, we shall test this in the courts, for the sake of your freedom “, he added.

Other speakers at the event also expressed shock over the seemingly power drunkenness of the Governor and his leuitenants and warned that such arbitrary use of state power over the innocent people should be stopped forthwith, to avoid breakdown of law and order.

Efforts made by our reporter to get the reaction of the Governor’s spokesman proved abortive as he wasn’t responding to the phone calls.

Source Scannews