Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State and Mr. David Olofu, the state’s recent finance commissioner, are at odds over his name allegedly being taken off the list of Benue sons and daughters who will receive chieftaincy titles from HRM Och’Idoma Agabaidu Dr. Elaigwu Odogbo, the Paramount Ruler of the Idoma tribe, on Saturday.
Governor Alia called the former commissioner’s claim that his name was removed on the basis of a directive from the governor baseless and an attempt at blackmail.
I don’t look in the mirror because I don’t think poorly of myself; I think I’m attractive and well-groomed.
Olofu stated: “The Och’Idoma himself informed me of it last night. Governor Alia does not bother me in the slightest. I have never gotten into a fight with him. I am currently the Nigerian Governor’s Forum’s Senior Technical Adviser. Would I be employed somewhere where all the governors belong if I was a confrontational person?The APGA, the PDP, the Labour Party, and the APC are all present. I’m a professional who has dabbled in politics, but I also understand the boundaries between politics and my line of work, so I’ve never let politics interfere with it. Even though I served as the Forum of Commissioners for Finance’s chairman for three and a half years, I was still a member of the PDP, and they did not think poorly of me.
Does this mean that I worked for the previous administration?I talked to the former governor, and he advised me to approve it. I’ve permitted it now. Being the governor, he has complete discretion over his actions. On Sunday, though, I’ll attend church and honor God. As Christians, we are commanded to give thanks to God in every circumstance.
Tersoo Kula, the Chief Press Secretary, responded to it by saying, “This is blackmail.” When it comes to bestowing titles, honors, and other distinctions upon their subjects, Governor Alia in no way advises traditional rulers on what is right or wrong. The governor does not control chieftaincy affairs to the extent of determining who should be honored or not; he has far more important tasks to manage in managing the affairs of this state than to get involved in such frenzied issues that touch on chieftaincy titles. Blackmail is what this is, and the people doing it should stay away from this wicked machinery. Being a priest, the governor has no hatred for anyone. He is a governor for everyone, including members of the LP, APC, SDP, and PDP.
“The governor has been acting as a father figure to everyone for the entire time they have held the office.”
With a strong emphasis on not wanting to accept that the former commissioner was the source of the allegation, the Chief Press Secretary stated: “Unless he has any document or evidence that the governor actually communicated to the traditional rulers of Idoma extraction calling on them to extract his name.” Blackmail needs to end because this is untrue.