Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The Benue state commissioner for Cooperative and Rural Development, Mrs Joy Luga is presently facing attacks from Gboko APC stakeholders over her utterances against the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Dajoh Anodona.
Speaking with Nigerian Concord Newspaper this morning, some stakeholders of the All Progressive Congress in Gboko local government expressed their displeasures over the disclaimer by the commissioner on the consensus arrangement which produced Dajoh’s former chief of staff, Barr. Elias Torseer Yina as the sole candidate for chairmanship in the forthcoming local government elections in the state.
Saying that Yina is the candidate of the whole Gboko APC, the stakeholders condemned the decision of Luga to disown him. They said Luga is ungrateful to have challenged the decision of the speaker who single-handedly nominated her as a commissioner.
They wondered how Luga who they said has not held a single stakeholders meeting or a thanksgiving mass in Gboko since she was made commissioner last year wants to get supports for her so-called chairmanship candidate at the primaries when conducted.
They maintained that the commissioner doesn’t even know the name of the APC chairman in her local government, noting that her action has given her out as being ungrateful to the speaker.
Meanwhile, appointees of Benue state government in the local government have written an open letter to denounce the disclaimer by Mrs Joy Ahunde Luga over consensus candidates of the APC in Gboko LGA.
Recall that the Gboko APC, stakeholders and the seventeen ward chairmen led by the local government Chairman, Mr. Terfa Iorgilim yesterday presented the party’s consensus candidates for chairman and 17 Councillors to Speaker Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh.
On the letter, Alia’s appointees in Gboko local government said: “We are fully in support of the officials of the party who worked diligently without rancour, acrimony and arrived at consensus candidates. We are not part of the disclaimer by Mrs Luga. We are aso not in support of her struggles to be leader of Gboko.
“If Mrs Ahunde Luga wants to be leader of Gboko, she should fight alone. We have worked together with all the organs of the party in Gboko and we are part of all the activities
“It is very disappointing that Mrs Luga published her sole intention and said we collectively signed. We do not know anything about her disclaimer and our leader is the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Chief Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh
“We hereby warn Mrs Ahunde Luga to desist from making desperate statements on behalf of the Governor’s appointees from Gboko.
“This statement is signed by the following Appointees of Governor Alia from Gboko.
1. Hon. Emmanuel Iorbee, PSA to the Governor on Protocol and wardrobe
2. Hon. Augustine Adekaa, SSA to the Governor on Crucial Matters
3. Hon. Terver Zamber SSA to the Governor on Media, (office of the Speaker)
4. Raphael Kasha SA to the Governor on Domestic Affairs (Office of the Speaker)
5. Hon. Peter Asoona, Personal Assistant to the Governor, Domestic Affairs (office of the speaker)
6. Hon. Terkuma Jiki, Personal Assistant to the Governor (office of the Speaker)
7. Hon. Isaac Iornyagh, SSA to the Governor on Protocol (office of the Speaker)
8. Ms Sonia Ahemba, SSA to the Governor on protocol
9. Hon. Agber Kulugh, Personal Assistant to the Governor on Media (office of the Speaker)
Meanwhile, All Progressive Congress, Gboko Local Government Chapter had yesterday presented Barr. Elias Torseer Yina to the Honourable Speaker of the Benue State House Assembly Chief Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh as the sole consensus candidate for Chairman, ahead of the October Local Government polls.
They also presented to the Speaker the seventeen consensus candidates for councillorship across the seventeen wards that makes up Gboko Local Government Area.
Barr. Yina, a legal luminary with over ten years of experience in the law practice, was one time Senior Special Assistant to the immediate past Governor of Benue State on Legal Matters.
Presenting the aspirants to the Speaker, All Progressive Congress Chairman, Gboko Local Government Hon. Terfa Iorngirim said due process was followed before arriving at the candidates.
Hon. Iorngirim noted that, as the leader of the party in Jemgbagh, the Speaker ought to be properly briefed on the activities and preparations of the Party leading to the conduct of the October Council polls.
Receiving the candidates, the Honourable Speaker lauded the tireless efforts put together by the Chairman of the party and the Stakeholders for ensuring a peaceful council poll.
He said with the consensus arrangement properly done by the Stakeholders and party members, they have succeeded in making the work easy and smooth for the party in Gboko.
Chief Dajoh expressed his commitment to ensuring a credible and transparent local government election.