Uneasy relationship between the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia, and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, has deteriorated as aides and supporters of the two APC chiefs exchanged words at the weekend. It began when the former Chief Press Secretary to the former Governor of the state, Samuel Ortom, posted a picture of his principal and Akume at a public function in a jovial mood on Facebook.
Responding to the post, the Chief Press Secretary to the state Governor, Tersoo Kula, wrote: “Romancing with former Governor, Samuel Ortom, is the new low.” He accused the Akume camp of courting the former governor to use him in their fight against Alia. “He is now the beautiful bride for those who detest the fact that Benue is undergoing rapid transformation in infrastructure.
Ortom is now the melting pot against the restoration of the state as the agricultural hub. “People are entitled to hold their political grudges and express their personal disappointments, but to do so using the Ortom banner is the new low,” he said. Akase advised Alia to “take a chill pill and refrain from unnecessarily heating up the polity”.
In his own rejoinder, titled: ‘Governor Alia ought to focus on development issues’, Akase stated: “His Excellency Ortom once again wishes to advise his successor to take a chill pill and refrain from unnecessarily heating up the political atmosphere. “The mere fact that the former governor was in the company of o.
