You are jealous of my rising profile, Ortom tells David Mark

Samuel Ortom, Benue state governor, says David Mark, former senate president, is jealous of his “rising profile”.

Ortom said Mark lied by saying the governor procured wheelbarrows to empower the youth of the state.

While launching projects in Rivers state, Mark had remarked that Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers, was building infrastructure, Ortom was distributing wheelbarrows to the youth.

But speaking with state house correspondents after the national economic council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Thursday, the governor said Mark was spreading of falsehood against him.

He said he had invited the former senate president to a stakeholder meeting to present his two-year scorecard, but that he chose to honour the invitation of Wike.

He also explained that the wheelbarrows were not his, but the property of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) which he said distributed them to internally displaced persons in the state.

‎”That is outright falsehood. There is no iota of truth. It is meant to scandalise, blackmail and to reduce my rising profile in Benue because of achievements we have recorded during these two years,” Ortom said in response to the accusation.

“When you hear someone like David Mark, who is supposed to be an elder statesman, go to make false propaganda against people who are supposed to be his subjects, I used to regard him as an elder, but it’s unfortunate he is telling lies.

“Those wheelbarrows were brought to us by National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), to be distributed to displaced people who need them.

“So, it was just meant to blackmail me because PDP in Benue are still dreaming, including David Mark, that I am governor and I won the election.

“I left them (PDP) because of the injustice they did to me and I came to APC and found a platform. The people accepted me and I won. They are out to blackmail me and it will not work because there is no iota of truth.

“On May 22, I invited all Benue stakeholders, David Mark was invited, and I was given standing ovation. That alone is an indication that Benue people are pleased with me in all sectors despite all the challenges, especially in funding.

“I have cleared arrears of salaries. These people are just jealous, David Mark is jealous and all his cohorts are jealous. They left Benue state and went to Rivers and met and came and disturb us in Benue state. Let them come to Benue state.”