By Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has charged Christians, particularly clergymen not to relent in praying to God about the worsening security and other challenges confronting the state.
Governor Ortom, according to a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, CPS, Nathaniel Ikyur, gave the charge at the weekend, while addressing the congregation at Saint Michael’s Catholic Church, Nyorgyungu Makurdi, during the wedding of his immediate younger brother, Bernard Ortom and his wife, Helen Tyokyegh.
The Governor who stated that no challenge was too big for God to solve permanently, said as someone with the mandate of God and the people to govern the state, he has been doing the best to ensure that they have comfortable lives.
He said the continued attacks on Benue communities and killings of innocent people by Fulani herdsmen was not because of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law but the hidden agenda of the aggressors and the failure of the government at the centre to curtail them.
According to Governor Ortom, other states in the country who have no laws prohibiting open grazing were going through similar attacks and killings, which was a “clear testament of the aggressors’ annihilation, subjugation and conquest agenda.”
The Governor advised the people to arm themselves with Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs and actively participate in next year’s election by voting for credible people with proven capacity to turn things around in the country.
While responding to an earlier appeal by the priest in charge of the church, Governor Ortom directed the chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, to construct a class room block for the primary school owned by the church and assured of looking into their other challenges.
The Governor who later attended another wedding ceremony between James Bulaun Jr and Sonia Akighir enjoined both couples to imbibe the spirit of love and forgiveness so that their marriages would blossom and bear good fruits.
Earlier in his sermon, Reverend Father Samuel Lamen who told the couple that there were no perfect husbands or wives urged them not to hesitate in saying sorry to each other when they were wrong, saying that they can overcome every challenge in their marriage.
Governor Ortom was accompanied to the wedding ceremonies by the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly and Governorship candidate of the PDP, Engineer Titus Uba, High Court Judge, Justice John Shishi, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Mr. Frank Usaadi and others.
