PDP candidate for governorship of Benue State in next year's election, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa has come out in defense of Samuel Ortom, the State's immediate past Governor, asserting that the former governor confronted the state's "security challenges headlong". Aondoakaa was reaction to a publication by Solomon Iorpev, Technical Adviser (media) to Benue Governor Hyacinth Alia, which attempted to indict the former governor of negligence in confronting the Fulani invasion of the State. He said, "The attempt to shield the current administration behind the failures of the past ignores a fundamental truth; it is an established fact that former Governor Samuel Ortom confronted the security crisis head-on, even when the state's security votes and federal cooperation were severely constrained." Aondoakaa asserted that the Ortom administration "did not play politics with the lives of its people by attempting to please Abuja at the expense of Makurdi", insisting that, "The Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017 was a direct and courageous response to the yearnings of Benue people." Aondoakaa regretted that the Technical Adviser to the Benue Governor could "spend hundreds of words looking into the rearview mirror while the state continues to bleed in real time", adding, "To frame the genuine cries of Benue citizens as mere 'trial by hashtag' or 'PDP propaganda' is to insult the intelligence and grief of the very people Governor Hyacinth Alia swore an oath to protect." The former Justice minister added, "For Mr. Iorpev, an appointee of the Governor paid with taxpayers' money, to now reduce that effort to mere 'press statements' is an attempt to rewrite history. Ortom consistently drew national and international attention to the attacks on Benue communities, openly challenging what was federal Government's inaction instead of pretending the crisis did not exist." Addressing Iorpev directly, Aondakaa asserted, "Perhaps the most painful aspect of the current administration's rhetoric, echoed in your statement, is the subtle but disturbing tendency to shift blame onto the victims. When you insinuate that the instruments of enforcement became 'channels of cattle rustling,' you repeat the same narrative often used by those accused of attacking Benue communities to justify violence against innocent people. "Many Benue people are exhausted by an administration they believe has, at times, suggested that they are responsible for their own suffering." He accused Governor Alia of publicly "making statements in churches and to the media concerning communities such as Gwer East, alleging cattle rustling," he noted. Aondoakaa further pointed out that "Governor Alia was elected on a promise to pursue a different approach to the state's security challenges. Many citizens therefore expect an administration that empathizes with displaced communities and focuses on their protection rather than making statements that assign blame." He condemned the Governor's excuse that three years is not enough to rebuild security architecture, pointing out that, "While institutional reforms undoubtedly take time, the constitutional duty to protect lives begins the very moment the oath of office is taken. An administration cannot simultaneously claim to have drastically reduced insecurity while families continue burying loved ones across rural communities. Citizens naturally expect public assurances of progress to be reflected in their daily reality." Aondoakaa further noted, "As victims of attacks were being buried in Otukpo, other communities in Agatu and Turan in Kwande were also experiencing violence. Residents in Shitile (Katsina-Ala), Logo, Ukum, Guma, Gwer West, Mbalom in Gwer East, and several other communities continue to face serious security challenges. These realities inevitably raise questions about claims that insecurity has been substantially reduced. "Patience is earned through transparency, measurable action, and honest engagement, not through press statements that appear to dismiss the fears of citizens. If the house is still burning, those living inside have every right to ask why the current firefighting measures are not extinguishing the flames," he submitted. The PDP governorship candidate advised that Governor Alia "must place governance above grievance. Benue's tragedy should not become ammunition for the 2027 political calendar, adding, "Accountability is not a seasonal campaign slogan; it is a daily obligation of government. "The people are not asking for miracles. They are asking for a government that stands firmly with them, acknowledges their pain without suggesting they are responsible for it, and treats every life lost as a profound failure demanding urgent action rather than simply attributing it to an inherited problem. "Today, communities including Zaki Biam, Gbeji, Turan in Kwande, Shitile in Katsina-Ala, Otukpo-Nobi in Otukpo, Shitile in Logo, Yelewata in Guma, Mbalom in Gwer East, and Naka in Gwer West continue to cry out for help. Reports indicate that more than fourteen local government areas continue to experience serious security challenges. Many citizens believe the government's response has not matched the scale of the crisis. They also expect public officials to communicate with empathy and urgency, reflecting the gravity of the situation. "Until the Alia administration demonstrates, through both words and actions, that its primary responsibility is to protect lives and restore confidence, the cries of the people of Benue will only grow louder."

Posted: 4weeks ago

Author: Editor in Chief

Current date: 14 August 2026