Ortom blasts APC aspirant: Leave me alone and focus on your change agenda

Samuel Ortom, governor of Benue state has asked Titus Zam, a governorship aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), to tell people of the state about his development agenda instead of speaking ill of him.

Ortom said this on Tuesday in response to comments made by Zam who was his special adviser on bureau for local government and chieftaincy affairs.

While addressing a press conference in Makurdi, Zam had vowed to replace Ortom.

He said the governor was “ignorant of APC ideologies, manifestoes and programmes”.

But responding through Terver Akase, his chief press secretary, Akase listed achievements of the current Benue government, highlighting some projects and accomplishments.

He said the APC ideology centered on change which only translated to replacing the government in power at that time.

Akase said those who had described Ortom as a “star performer” have turned around to launch verbal attacks on him now that he has moved to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“Titus Zam and other APC aspirants should tell Benue people their agenda for the development of the state if given the opportunity to lead instead of making Governor Ortom the focus of their campaign,” the statement read.

“Governor Ortom being an astute administrator, went beyond the APC manifesto by executing laudable projects in various sectors of the economy in the state.

“Forty-three rural communities have been connected with urban areas through the construction of feeder roads while 20 others have been provided with electricity under the Bureau for Rural Development and Cooperatives.

“Construction of classroom blocks is ongoing in 740 primary schools across the state with over 500 already completed, while 44 primary health centres and water schemes established by the Ortom administration are already in use in various communities of the state.

“Through the intervention of the governor, over 150 medical doctors have also graduated at the College of Health Sciences and about 13 road projects are at various stages of completion.”