By Sunday Ogli, Makurdi
DEPUTY Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Hon Lami Danladi Ogenyi, has urged the House of Representatives Member for Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo, Hon Philip Agbese, to embrace representative democracy instead of using blackmail and media propaganda to beg for public sympathy.
The deputy speaker in a press release signed by her press secretary, Agbaji Samuel Atsonwu and made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Friday, said it has become a norm for Hon Agbese to incessantly drag notable public office holders into his unruly game of cheap blackmail and media propaganda.
Recall that Hon Agbese allegedly escaped assassination on Thursday in Igumale, headquarters of Ado Local Government Area of Benue State while sharing Easter gifts his constituents.
However, Hon Ogenyi recalled the Suswan and Ortom-led governments, where Hon Agbese was reportedly dragged the former governors into this game which she said has become old fashioned.
She said: “While we were still in shock over the motive behind the game Agbese was trying to play, the final straw that broke the Carmel’s back came staring the entire Benue citizenry in the face. This was when Agbese chose to blackmail the current governor of the state, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, Ph.D.
“It became obvious to the Benue citizenry that, if Agbese could play his characteristic game of blackmailing public office holders, with the most Reverend Governor who has turned Benue’s fortune around in less than a year, then no one would be left out of this evil ‘trade’ of his.
“Sadly, since Agbese sets himself up against the governor, everyone conceived to be in alignment with the governor’s developmental vision and against Agbese’s charade of leadership in the green chambers has being a victim and subject of his blackmail and Media propaganda.”
The deputy speaker said even before she was elected into the House, of the Benue state House of Assembly as the Member representing Ado state Constituency and her subsequent emergence as the Deputy Speaker of the 10th Assembly, she was a constant name in Agbese’s game of blackmail using gullible followers as puppets to carry out his sinister and heinous business of blackmail.
“The public have had to ask plenty of times as to why Agbese desperately wants the downfall of Chief Lami, a woman whom neither occupies the same position with Agbese, nor is in competition whatsoever with him.
“Elections are over. Governance ought to be the only thing Agbese is concerned about. But unlike the Ado representative and Deputy Speaker of the House of Assembly, Chief Lami whom has being going about impressing everyone with her kind and generous leadership style, Agbese is still keen on engaging in slandering, blackmail and witch hunting rather than serving the people of Enone in a positive light,” she said.
Hon Ogenyi called on the unsuspecting public to distant themselves from ‘the sham puppoted to be an assassination attempt’ by Agbese and his camp and advised the youths to also stop availing themselves to be used as tools for Agbese’s trade of blackmail.
According to her, in the said alleged assassination report, there was no evidence to suggest that those boys been paraded by the Nigerian military are assassins.
“We have never heard of instances where unarmed, innocent looking young men would carry out an assassination attempt on the life of a well guarded HoR member. This is irrational and a failed attempt to downplay on the intelligence of the public.
“Agbese should know that his business of seeking undue public sympathy can no longer sell as the Benue people are wiser and they now know better.
“We strongly advise that Agbese, rather than continuing to tow this path, should embrace representive democracy and let his constituents enjoy the returns on their mandate that sent him to the green chambers, Hon Ogenyi advised.
She said she cannot be dragged into what she described as ‘Agbese’s leadership ineptitude,’ stressing, “If he wishes to fail, he is so free to fail alone without looking for whom to tag along. Ado is watching, so is the entire Enone and Benue state.
“Those fanning the embers of war should know that war does no one good. The earlier they realized that development is far better than undue public unrest, narcissism, blackmail and propaganda, the better it will be for society.”
