Nigerian Concord Newspaper
A REJOINDER TO HON. DAVID TSEVENDE
Hon. David Tsevende’s attempt to portray the administration of the immediate past Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, as one that failed to execute projects, particularly in Nongov, is not only misleading but also a glaring demonstration of selective political memory.
Before throwing tantrums against Chief Ortom, Tsevende should first acquaint himself with the development history of his own constituency. More importantly, he should distinguish between constructive political criticism and the deliberate distortion of facts for political relevance.
Perhaps the most troubling aspect of Hon. David Tsevende’s political conduct is his apparent inability to maintain political consistency. How does someone who claims to be politically principled move from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and now to the All Progressives Congress (APC), within such a short period?
What exactly is the political conviction behind these frequent movements? Is politics about principles, service and loyalty to the people, or simply about following wherever personal political benefits appear to be available?
Tsevende must understand that political relevance is not built by changing party platforms at every opportunity or attacking individuals who once extended goodwill to him. That is the very definition of a fair-weather politician: someone whose political allegiance appears to change with the direction of convenience.
More importantly, what tangible benefits has his political journey brought to his immediate community, Nongov, and the wider Ichongo Akem? What identifiable projects has he facilitated? What institutions has he strengthened? What opportunities has he created for his people? What enduring contribution can his community point to as evidence of his leadership?
Rather than collecting scraps of political attention and using them to insult a brother who has been genuinely blessed by his immediate community, Tsevende should reflect on his own contributions to the development of his people.
Chief Samuel Ortom is not merely a political figure in Nongov; he is a son of the soil whose leadership has earned him recognition and acceptance within his community and the wider Ichongo Akem and by extension Benue State.
His contributions to the people, his record in public service and his standing among his kinsmen are matters that should not be casually dismissed by anyone seeking temporary political relevance.
There is a difference between being politically noisy and being a leader. Leadership is demonstrated through service, sacrifice, responsibility and tangible contributions to the lives of the people.
If Tsevende believes he has a better record, he should present it for public scrutiny instead of spending his political energy attacking someone whose contributions to Nongov and Benue State are visible and can be independently assessed.
The people of Nongov and Ichongo Akem deserve politicians who build their communities, not politicians who build their relevance by insulting those who have served them.
DID ORTOM ABANDON NONGOV? THE PROJECTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
For someone alleging that Chief Ortom did not execute projects in Nongov, perhaps Hon. Tsevende needs a reminder of the following projects delivered or facilitated by the Ortom administration in the area:
1. Construction of the Makurdi–Gbajimba Road.
2. Construction of the Gbajimba–Iordye–Akaahena Feeder Road, approximately 30 kilometres.
3. Remodelling of Government Technical College, Gbajimba.
4. Support for the reaccreditation of the School of Health Technology, Agasha.
5. Electrification of Tse-Abi Ginde, Tsevende’s hometown.
6. Ginde- Tse Aviaka- Tse Utem – Tsav Num(fada) Road in Saghev.
7. Construction of Liti stream in Saghev
8. Several other projects were executed in Njorov and Kaambe, both within the Nongov extraction.
9. Some projects awarded in the area remained uncompleted due to funding constraints, but the present administration has failed to continue and complete them, despite government being a continuum.
These are not imaginary projects or political campaign promises. They are tangible interventions in infrastructure, education, healthcare and rural electrification.
It is therefore curious that someone from Nongov would conveniently overlook these projects and turn around to suggest that Chief Ortom did nothing for the area.
If Tsevende has forgotten, the people of Gbajimba, Iordye, Akaahena, Agasha and Tse-Abi Ginde have not forgotten.
A POLITICAL BENEFICIARY SHOULD NOT PRETEND TO BE A STRANGER TO THE HAND THAT HELPED HIM.
There is another dimension to this discussion that Hon. Tsevende must confront.
His political journey has not produced an electoral victory, not even at the councillorship level. Yet, he has enjoyed political opportunities and benefits through the goodwill and political support of Chief Samuel Ortom.
There is nothing wrong with benefiting from a leader’s generosity. However, it becomes troubling when someone who has enjoyed such goodwill turns around to misrepresent the same leader’s record.
Political disagreement is legitimate, and nobody is obligated to agree with Chief Ortom on every issue. But disagreement should never become an excuse for ingratitude, historical revisionism or the propagation of falsehoods.
Before questioning Ortom’s record, Tsevende should be prepared to present his own electoral achievements, public-service contributions and verifiable development interventions for public assessment.
ORTOM’S ACHIEVEMENTS EXTEND FAR BEYOND NONGOV.
The suggestion that Chief Ortom neither constructed nor commissioned projects during his eight-year administration is even more difficult to defend when the statewide record is examined.
In infrastructure, the administration constructed and rehabilitated roads across the three senatorial districts.
In Makurdi, projects included the 14-kilometre Terwase Agbadu–Apir Road, Customary Court–George Akume Way, Mobile Barracks–Welfare Quarters Road, Federal High Court Road in North Bank, and several township roads.
In Gboko, roads included Aper Aku Road, Professor Martin Dent Road, Ahmadu Bello Way, J.S. Tarka Way, Captain Downes Road and Chief Isaac Shaahu Road.
In Guma, the 30-kilometre Gbajimba–Iordye–Akaahena Feeder Road was among the notable interventions.
Other projects included the 47-kilometre Zaki-Biam–Gbeji–Afia Road, Agatu–Oshigbudu–Obagaji Road, Taraku–Naka Road, Daudu–Gbajimba Road, and several rural roads and bridges across the state.
In Otukpo, the administration undertook township road projects, including Armstrong Avenue, Commercial Road and the reconstruction of the Ochi’Doma Palace Road.
These are only some of the roads. There were also rural bridges, drainage projects and feeder roads connecting farming communities.
EDUCATION AND HEALTHCARE WERE NOT LEFT OUT.
The Ortom administration executed more than 1,000 primary school projects in collaboration with UBEC, procured thousands of desks and supported the rehabilitation and upgrading of several secondary schools.
The administration also strengthened Benue State University through a first-line charge funding arrangement, addressed issues surrounding earned academic allowances and supported the accreditation of the College of Health Sciences, enabling the institution to produce medical doctors.
In healthcare, the administration established the Benue State Health Insurance Scheme, created the Primary Healthcare Board, supported 42 health centres, provided medical equipment and ambulances, and invested in the Benue State University Teaching Hospital.
The School of Health Technology, Agasha, which is particularly relevant to this discussion, also received attention towards accreditation.
AGRICULTURE, ELECTRICITY AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT.
Under Ortom, farmers benefited from subsidised fertiliser for eight cropping seasons. Fifty tractors were acquired and sold to beneficiaries at a 60 per cent subsidy, while agro-processing factories were constructed in six local government areas under the SDGs.
More than 1,000 motorised and hand-pump water schemes were provided, while over 60 electricity projects were completed across the state.
Skills acquisition centres were also established in Gbajimba, Apa-Agila and Makurdi, with vocational training and starter kits provided to beneficiaries as well as construction of Benjis services Center in Makurdi.
SECURITY: ORTOM CHOSE TO DEFEND BENUE.
Perhaps the most defining aspect of Chief Ortom’s administration was his position on insecurity and the protection of Benue communities.
His administration enacted the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017, established the Benue State Livestock Guards, supported the Community Volunteer Guards and provided operational assistance to security agencies.
He consistently demanded federal intervention, raised concerns over attacks on farming communities and took the plight of displaced Benue people to national and international platforms.
People may disagree with some of his decisions, but it is dishonest to suggest that he did nothing.
HIS HUMANITARIAN RECORD ALSO DESERVES RECOGNITION.
Chief Ortom’s longstanding intervention in the treatment of snakebite victims, dating back to 2000 and continuing through his years in public service, remains another significant demonstration of his concern for ordinary people.
His continued sponsorship of treatment and payment of hospital bills for victims, including recent beneficiaries, reinforces the humanitarian dimension of his public service. He also initiated and constructed many projects to mention but a few.
THE REAL QUESTION FOR TSEVENDE
Chief Samuel Ortom is not above criticism. No public officeholder is. His administration can be examined, questioned and assessed against its promises and performance.
However, criticism must be anchored on facts, not political convenience.
Hon. David Tsevende should therefore answer some straightforward questions:
– Were the Makurdi–Gbajimba and Gbajimba–Iordye–Akaahena roads not executed under Ortom?
– Was Government Technical College, Gbajimba, not remodelled?
– Did the School of Health Technology, Agasha, not receive government intervention?
– Was Tse-Abi Ginde not electrified?
– Were these projects not located in the very area he now claims was abandoned?
If the answers are yes, then what exactly is the basis for his allegation?
The difference between a responsible politician and a political commentator seeking attention is the willingness to subject claims to evidence.
Hon. Tsevende should stop pretending that Chief Samuel Ortom’s administration left no development footprint in Nongov. The projects are there, the beneficiaries are there, and the communities can testify.
Chief Samuel Ortom may not have satisfied every expectation, but he certainly did not abandon Nongov or Benue State.
History must not be rewritten to accommodate temporary political interests. A leader’s record should be judged by what he did, the institutions he strengthened, the communities he reached and the challenges he confronted.
Hon. David Tsevende should bring forward his own record of service and allow the people to compare contributions rather than resorting to tantrums against a leader whose political goodwill helped open doors for him.