Benue APC Boycotts Ortom’s Meeting On Privatization Of State Industries

Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has turned down the invitation extended to it by Governor Samuel Ortom to attend the stakeholders meeting on the proposed privatization of state industries, Punch reports.

According to a statement issued by the party’s State caretaker Publicity Secretary, James Orgunga, titled, ‘Benue APC Not Party To Ortom’s Ineffectual Stakeholders’ Meetings Anymore’, the party’s decision became necessary because of the frequent attacks on the federal government by Governor Ortom.

The stakeholders meeting is scheduled to hold on Monday, August 30, 2021 in Government House, Makurdi.

“It is apprehensive about the recent grandstanding of Governor Samuel Ortom and his team, especially now that they are quick to malign and castigate the federal government for failing the Benue people without presenting proofs of the governor’s love for the state which should manifest through a credible scorecard of overwhelming tactile projects,” the opposition party in the state said.

Orgunga stated that the party had shown understanding with the Ortom government in the past by voluntarily giving free ideas that would improve the state but regretted that such ‘good ideas’ were not implemented.

The APC in the state which argued that the present administration in the state had failed to live up to the basic requirements of it’s leadership mandate has however resorted to baseless blame games and media denigration of the president, the regime he claimed had provided more verifiable projects in Benue than the governor.

“With this conspicuous crave by the governor to canonize himself and demonize President Buhari and the APC, we WARN all APC members to steer clear of these so- called stakeholders’ meetings that are manifestly intended to legitimize the governor’s unholy TV outbursts; the new dimension he has adopted to launch his 2023 campaigns as well as cover up his many failings.

“Benue APC cannot continue to expend workable ideas on a government that honestly lacks policy direction and is merely clutching at straws hence, we urge all our members to distance themselves from this meeting as the party shall not hesitate to apply sanctions against any recalcitrant member found at the meeting.

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“Already, the Ortom administration having failed to build even a single industry for the state in more than six years, has resolved to SELL all the legacy companies of the state that were established and built by his predecessors, an action he is scouting for other accomplices to validate his deeds with unsophisticated endorsements.

“It is widely reported that some helpless groups that are tied to his apron string have been cajoled into giving a nod to this destructively unclear privatization agenda but the APC in Benue State shall no longer share tables with people who are out to ruin the entire fortunes of Benue through reckless spendings on media wars against the presidency but refusing to invest in agriculture where the state has comparative advantage.

“We once again, re-echoe that the APC in Benue is not on the same page with Governor Samuel Ortom in his mindless billingsgate against President Muhammadu Buhari and the party is diametrically opposed to his cunning privatization agenda which is a conscious step towards putting the final nail in Benue’s underdevelopment coffin,” the statement read in part.