2019: Benue youths vow to stand with Ortom till the end

Benue Youth Alliance For Ortom 2019 (BYAFO 2019), a youth group pushing for the re-election of Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has vowed to continue with the Governor against all odds.

The youth group said they are ready to queue behind the governor as he strives to give a new direction in the Nigeria’s Food Basket State in spite of persecutions he is facing.

The group in a statement issued by its National Coordinator, Iorliam Shija, Tuesday, in Makurdi, the state capital, said that no political leadership in the state will be acceptable outside that which is provided by Governor Ortom.

This statement is in reaction to the Monday’s revelation by Ortom that he has been shown a ‘red card’ by leadership of the APC, on whose platform he came to power in 2015.

According to Shija, Ortom’s presence on the political stage in the state was a reminiscence of what was obtainable in the First Republic when late JS Tarka attempted the definition of minority rights in Nigeria.

The youth leader observed that since the era of Tarka, clear agenda and focused political leadership have eluded the state until the emergence of Ortom.

“We have tried those who in their estimation feel they are leaders in the state but they have failed us. What do we get as a result of that? Underdevelopment, lack of clear cut agenda and direction to move the people forward is what we have witnessed.”

“Ortom must be spared the ongoing persecution. When has it become a crime to stand by the people, whose mandate you are holding in trust? We are satisfied with the unwavering determination of our Governor, His Excellency Samuel Ortom to securing the future of our state at the expense of his comfort and political career.” he noted.

“Our assurance to the Governor is that with him, we stand to the end in his desire to giving a new lease of life and direction in the state,” the statement reads.

The group also promised to move into all nooks and crannies of the state to mobilize against selfish politicians, who because of their personal ambitions, want to hold the state back.