The Northern Awareness Movement (NAM) has asked Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom to concentrate his energy on the development the state, deliver his party in 2023 and ensure prompt payment of salaries.
The Northern group also condemned a press conference held by the Minda Leaders of thoughts of Benue State, where they purportedly withdrew their support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, describing the move as a “provocative joke taken too far.”
Both Governor Ortom and the Minda Leaders had verbally attacked Atiku over an alleged statement credited to him, saying the enemies of the North and Nigeria at large had carefully twisted Atiku’s comment to mean that he supports rogue elements and approves of their cowardly act of wrecking havoc and mayhem on innocent well meaning Nigerians.
Reacting to the development through a statement signed by the Chairman of the NAM, Muhammed Inuwa, made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Abuja, said Atiku Abubakar’s statement had laid credence and further cemented his Pan-Nigerian credentials.
“The Northern Awareness Movement wishes to state unequivocally that the press conference by the Minda Leaders of thoughts is provocative joke taken too far. It is unfortunate for the so called leaders to attempt to praise the non-performing Ortom as a “global icon”. They should bury their heads in shame for the ridiculous attempt to dress Governor Ortom in borrowed robes.
“The NAM is not unaware of the failures of Governor Ortom to pay salaries and lacking of any legacy project of his own in Benue state. We are also not unaware of the seemingly loss of popularity by Dr. Samuel Ortom in Benue state on a daily basis as a result of failure in office.
“We urge Governor Ortom and his group of elders to sheath their swords and concentrate on developing Benue State and also delivering Ortom at the polls in the coming 2023 general election.”
According to Inuwa, Atiku sees everyone as Nigerians first, regardless of tongue, tribe and religion hence the careful and intentional use of the phrase “our people.”
The statement reads: “The attention of the Northern Awareness Movement (NAM) has been drawn to a press conference wherein a group of elders purportedly withdrew their support for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, H.E Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, while in the same breath, tried to absolve Governor Samuel Ortom of any wrong doings and curiously labeling him as a “global icon”.
“While we (NAM) will normally not react to issues that borders on divisiveness and profiling, it has become pertinent to set the records straight so as to separate facts from fiction, and sincerity of purpose from a deliberate attempt to push an agenda.
“The group will also like to commend Atiku Abubakar for finding the courage to condemn such dastardly attacks by rogue elements of the Fulani stock and also, finding it worthy to address certain critical issues like profiling the entire Fulani race. Like, the popular saying goes, never judge a book by its cover.
“But, like it’s typical to politicize every issue and try to score cheap political points, the enemies of the North and Nigeria at large had carefully twisted Atiku’s comment to mean that he supports rogue elements and approves of their cowardly act of wrecking havoc and mayhem on innocent well meaning Nigerians.”
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