
Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to a former Permanent Secretary and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship aspirant in Benue State, Dr. Tivlumun Nyitse, in a national daily that Governor Ortom should stop harping on former Governor Gabriel Suswam’s deeds as excuse for non performance.
With the benefit of hindsight, it is not surprising that Dr. Nyitse came out in defence of his former boss because as a permanent secretary that worked directly under the former governor, he was part of the looting that took place during the eight years of misrule.
Moreover, as someone in charge of administration at the Government House, the former permanent secretary was in a position to advise former Governor Suswam against some of his misdeeds like exceeding the Governor’s approval limit but he did not preferring to join him to amass wealth in preparation for the governorship race.
Unfortunately Dr. Nyitse participated in the PDP governorship primaries but ended up as an inconsequential footnote.
It is also regrettable that the technocrat would turn around and accuse Ortom of non performance when he was a permanent secretary in the government that handed over not only an empty treasury but a deficit one.
However it is quite revealing that in the said publication, Dr Nyitse admitted the failure of Suswam’s administration by describing as unfortunate, the circumstances that led to the abysmal performance of PDP in the last election.
This self introspection as reflected above, in the circumstance is the best attitude because the consequences of the former Governor Suswam’s misdeeds which led to his party’s defeat last year are written all over the state.
From the foregoing, even though no one sets up to keep referring to him and how he plundered the state, it is imperative that he props up once in a while.
We however wish to reassure the people of Benue State that once things improve in the state and the former Governor and his cohorts return looted funds they will be consigned to the dustbin of history.
As to Governor Ortom’s performance it is clear that the people of the state made the right choice as inspite of the economic downturn there are milestones being recorded in the graduation of 40 pioneer medical doctors at the University, reconstruction of Schools of Nursing and Midwifery as well as on-going work on numerous roads across the state, to mention a few.
Signed:
Tahav Agerzua
Special Adviser, Media and ICT.