Prof Hagher's visit to Government House,how Ortom's Social Media team embarrased him.

I had suspected long before today that these young men parading themselves as Governor Samuel Ortom's social media team are bound to embarrass the governor some day on account of their activities. In fact, I even offered a suggestion on the way forward bearing in mind the long time adage that says not everything a person's eyes see that his mouth must talk about (or you would use your tongue to kill yourself). 

I will come back to that. While it is a statutory provision that only political parties can throw up candidates for elections in Nigeria, I dare say that majority of the people that vote in any given election in the country are not members of any political organisation. 

This is why Governor Ortom's statement that he is the Governor of all in the state is an obvious statement of fact: Yes, he is The Governor of Benue State. No, not the Governor of APC, the party on whose platform he was elected into office. Indeed, while renaming the Makurdi Government House to Benue People's House, the Governor explained that the reason was to allow every Benue person unlimited access to the state's seat of power. 

Granted that access to the House has improved significantly, there is a worrisome trend that has crept into the House through young men and even ladies who ordinarily have no business there. They are attention seekers, busybodies, meddlesome interlopers who are out there to cause and promote disaffection and probably rid the governor of whatever ideas those who are not in the same political organisation with him may wish to give him. 

It is sad that these young people are so naïve that they know not the statesmen of Benue extraction so that whenever a statesman goes to pay homage or brief the governor of any activity, they are quick to give such visits political colouration. So is it mere lips service when the governor says he welcomes ideas from the people? Or through what channel does he expects to get the ideas or advice when a visit to the House is classed as partisan by the ‘governor’s purported social media team’? I am sure, many people have always waited to hear the governor distance himself from the activities of this group, at least for the uncomplimentary remarks they make on otherwise very important people in the state. 

Maybe, politics is no longer a game of numbers, else the goal would be to win even your enemies. It is also possible that people may choose to keep away from the Peoples House for fear that young people who have nothing in particular to do therein, do not read meanings in their visits to their governor. Imagine the most recent of these madness exhibited by one Ankor Kenneth Terwase via his facebook page. He wrote: “Breaking : Prof Iorwues Hagher is in Benue Peoples House, Makurdi now. The prof of Theatre Arts headed Terhemen Tarzoor governorship campaign. “There are indications that the kinsman of the immediate past embattled governor Of Benue State has perfected plans to join APC.” Save for the immediate response by the Chief Press Secretary, CPS to the governor, Terver Akase, the erstwhile Ambassador would be embarrassed by Ankor’s report. I am sure the governor has now realise the harm this group can cause him. 

They have to be cautioned; they should have supervisors or better put, editors who would be deciding what they post and what not to post. Below is the governor’s response through his 

CPS: ORTOM RESTATES COMMITMENT TO BE GOVERNOR OF ALL Our attention has been drawn to online reports on the visit to Governor Samuel Ortom yesterday by Professor Iyorwuese Hagher at the Benue Peoples House, Makurdi, in which uncomplimentary remarks were made on the former Ambassador of Nigeria to Mexico. Governor Ortom while condemning the incident, wishes to make it clear that his decision to change the name of Government House to the Benue Peoples House was a well considered move to make the seat of power more accessible to the people of the state. 

The Governor wants every Benue person home and abroad, irrespective of where he comes from or to which political party he belongs, to see the Peoples House as their own and be free to visit it at any time they have reason to do so. He reiterates that his promise to be the Governor of all without discrimination is a commitment he has made before God upon which the present administration is structured. Governor Ortom calls on all stakeholders to come forward with useful ideas which can add value to the development of the state as such ideas will be given the attention they deserve. He reaffirms the resolve of his administration to continue to initiate and execute projects as well as programmes to take the state to greater heights of development. 

Signed: 

Terver Akase Chief Press Secretary to the Governor. Clearly, not everything a person's eyes see that his mouth must talk.