February 22, (THEWILL) – Governorship candidate of the Accord Party (AP) in Benue state, Dr Matthias Oyigeya, has alleged that the Ipusu block, in the Tiv speaking area, is enslaving the state politically by hijacking the governorship position to their advantage.
The governorship candidate, who is the immediate past Chief Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi, listed the likes of Aper Aku, Moses Orshio Adasu, George Akume and Gabriel Suswam, as former governors of Benue state of Ipusu extraction.
According to him, all these while, it is the incumbent, Samuel Ortom, who is from Ichongu block in the Tiv speaking area.
The medical expert said many Tiv are not happy that people from Benue south senatorial district have not enjoyed the governorship seat since the creation of Benue state in 1976 and are supporting his candidature.
He expressed worry that the Paramount ruler of Idoma Nation had gone to kneel before his Tiv counterpart in Gboko, to appeal for power shift in 2023, but the only Idoma candidate in the PDP was not favoured in the primary.
Responding to a question, the Accord Party candidate explained that despite the said employment of 5,000 workers by the outgoing Samuel Ortom administration, he will not retrench any if they are on the staff payroll.
He is said to have garnered experience as Chief Medical Director by establishing over five clinical departments; expanded the internship programme in core clinical areas including radiology, optometry and physiotherapy, calling on Benue people to vote for him at the polls to replate same across the state.
“I’m a non tribalist. During my reign as CMD, my Director of Administration, Head of Establishment, Personal Assistant were the Tiv people. The movement of the Federal Medical Centre from Makurdi town to its permanent site at Apir in Gwer East made people love me the more.
Doctor Oyigeya said he employed about 1,000 staff as Chief Medical Director, cutting across all the ethnic background and established medical outreaches at Ikpa Mbatyerev in Gboko, Konshisha and Ogbadibo local government areas, which is an indication of administrative competence.
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