Nigerian Concord
The Spokesperson/Deputy Director of Media & Publicity, Samuel Ortom Senatorial Campaign Management Committee and Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Project Monitoring and Evaluation, Hon. Barr. Franc D’Obama Utoo has said that the Benue North West (Zone B) Senatorial Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Dr. Titus Zam is incompetent and lacks the pedigree to represent the good people of Zone B.
Barr. Utoo stated this during an interactive section with newsmen at Brothers FM, Makurdi where he challenged the allegation leveled against Governor Samuel Ortom by Zam, saying it was unfortunate for a man aspiring to represent the people to make such ugly statements.
Dr. Zam had recently laid some allegations that Governor Samuel Ortom is incompetent to contest for a senatorial seat and was not favored by zoning while challenging the validity of the Benue Anti-open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017.
In response to the allegations, Barr. Utoo stated that none of the aspirants were competent enough to be compared with Governor Samuel Ortom, who has paid his dues and described him as a man with pedigree and a vocal voice and resonance for the insecurity of the country for restructuring and the unity of the nation, qualities he claimed Dr. Titus Zam lacked.
He pointed out that Governor Ortom has a better stand and credentials to represent the people of the zone considering his antecedents as a former Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and attractive performance as Governor of Benue State.
“Even before going to the National Assembly, Governor Ortom was able to galvanize and mobilized the people of the Parliament at the national assembly to stand against the obnoxious water resources bill,” he stated.
On the claim that the confiscation of cattle by the Benue Lives Stock Guards was not a good measure of the law, Barr Utoo said the Lives Stock Guards were doing their lawful duty, in the same way, people who violate Sharia Law for selling beer openly in some Northern states are arrested and prosecuted.
He said Benue State Anti-open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law is a stand-out law in the history of Benue State which has the aggregate of the totality of the voice of the Benue people that the Animal Husbandry in other nations is done according to the system of ranching and that prevents hostility between farmers and herders.
“It is quite disheartening that when people like Zam come out to speak about Ortom using the Anti-open Grazing Law to undermined him, it is very unfortunate because he is rather undermining Benue people. The law was not an Ortom law but a law that was demanded by the BENUE people.”
On the assumption that it was a turn of Gwer West to produce a Senator, Utoo said, such arrangement was based on the Socio Cultural group known as MINDA which is coined from Masev, Ihyarev and Nongov and not geographical consideration as opined by Zam.
He maintained that both Ihyarev and Masev have produced senators only Nongov where Governor Ortom comes from is yet to enjoy the position.
He said, Nigeria is on the verge of collapsing and that there is a need to send vibrant people to the National Assembly, and that the so-called Zam has demonstrated his weaknesses even when he was the Local Government Chairman within ALGON, where he did nothing but became a Personal Assistant to the then National Chairman of ALGON, Late Baver Zeremo, who was also a Council Chairman.
Barr. Utoo stated that if Zam is patriotic enough, he should join the cue to vote for Governor and use the time to learn how to be eloquent, courageous, vibrant, vocal, and develop a pedigree that Nigeria will come to reckon with.
He urged the good people of Zone B not to be carried away by nay-sayers who are bent on using demagogues to gain cheap popularity like Dr. Zam but ensure to vote for people who have the sagacity to represent them in the likes of Governor Samuel Ortom.