Mr. Terver Akase, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Samuel Ortom is not losing sleep over 
the governorship election. Why? He believes that the state governor has done well to deserve another term.
What are the chances of your principal, the incumbent governor of the state to return to Government House the second time in 2019?
Governor Samuel Ortom stands a better chance to win next year’s election because he has been tested and trusted by Benue people.
He has left no one in doubt that he is the right man for this job. Benue would have been in very big trouble if the state was in the hands of another person at this time. But God knows why He brought Governor Ortom at this time; a time that Benue faced a lot of challenges in security and the economy.
Only a Samuel Ortom would have been able to steer the ship of the state away from the economic and security iceberg. And he has done that successfully and admirably and the people have told him that look, we understand the challenges that he is facing. We understand that at a very difficult time, the country ran into a recession and the allocation that came to Benue at the time you came was very low and the internal revenue from the state despite your efforts was not much.
Putting the challenges side by side, the people told the governor that he has done creditably well. The people have affirmed that in spite of the challenges, the governor has been able to do a lot in all sectors.
Also, the governor has stood firmly for his people by refusing to betray them when the state came under heavy attacks at the beginning of this year. He stood out and spoke against injustice and he stood firm until the Federal Government reluctantly responded by providing Operation Whirl Stroke which has done so much in securing Guma and Logo Local Government areas of Benue to ensure that some of the people leave the IDP camps and return home to continue with their farming activities.
It is only Governor Ortom that would have been able to resist injustice; speak in the face of oppression, criticism and intimidation that herdsmen are invading our communities and what they are doing is wrong. And this is why Benue people are happy that at last, they have been able to find a governor who is not willing to betray their trust or throw away the mandate they unanimously gave him; a governor who is willing to stay and look at the problems of Benue; a governor who is telling workers of the state the true financial situation; a governor who has put the books on the table and told the people about the wage bill of the state. The wage bill of Benue is the highest in northern Nigeria and third in the entire country.
Governor Ortom is the best candidate that can win in 2019 and he is ready to work for the people again and we believe that they are giving him the second mandate and he is ready to serve the people of Benue even more.
Please ignore the voices you hear from the opposition camp. They know they have no chance against Governor Ortom in 2019 election. They don’t even have a blueprint. The only blueprint the opposition in Benue State has is Governor Ortom. Anywhere they go, it’s Ortom this, Ortom that…
The next time you meet them, ask them about their blueprint. Make them to discuss what they plan for Benue and you will be shocked that their first sentence will begin with Ortom and the last will also be Ortom.
