By James Pitila

I saw a tweet by the arrogant and loudmouthed man who is the governorship candidate of Labour Party in Benue State, Herman Hembe in which he claimed that Peter Obi lost in the state because he embraced Governor Samuel Ortom. That was arrant nonsense. Hembe is a crook and a mischievous chap who has insulted every elder in Benue state.

The question to ask him is what did he do to win support for Peter Obi in Benue state? Obi visited the state many times but Hembe was not even recognized. He was not significant to the Obidient project so no one bothered to even notify him of the visit of Peter Obi.

Let me remind you about the crook called Herman Hembe. He is a very corrupt man and a cultist. He is not someone Benue people will consider for the big job of Governor. He will mortgage the state and run away with the proceeds to a foreign country.

Hembe hails from Mbakpor clan in Mbake council ward of Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State. He is the second of six children in the family of the late Godwin Hembe, a professor of Political Science at the Benue State University, Makurdi.
He had an absurd reputation of fierce disagreements with his father who almost disowned him at a point in time. Before the man died, his son Iorwase made him have many regrets and went to his grave a sorrowful man.

You won’t find Hembe in the news all the time; but whenever you do, it’s mostly for the wrong reasons. And whenever it is for good reasons, they’re usually quickly overtaken by bad news. Let’s see a few examples.

In 2007, when Hembe first entered the political space, he was a greenhorn, entirely unknown, and he was going to get the backing of Olusegun Obasanjo, President at the time. He did. But that was the only good thing about his political journey since then.

Hembe is on record to have repeatedly insulted every prominent politician in Benue State. From the present Governor Samuel Ortom, Senator Barnabas Gemade, Senator George Akume, Senator Gabriel Suswam etc, Iorwase Hembe has spared none. Gemade in particular is his punching bag. Recently, he has been moving around insulting Governor Ortom during campaigns. But fails to tell the people what he can do differently if given the chance to govern the state. He pours venom on elders in a fashion only a criminally minded person would.

It was public knowledge that while he was at the Benue State University, where he studied Law, Hembe’s records were splotched by allegations of active involvement in cultism. His father was known to have publicly expressed helplessness in curtailing the truancy of both Hembe and his other brother, Orkuma, who attended but never graduated from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi.

So, how did an alleged cultist find his way to the National Assembly? Hembe’s brother, Orkuma, had been President of the once-cerebral but since-decrepit National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), in 2005, earning himself notoriety for attempting to perpetuate himself in office beyond the limit of his term. Orkuma was Obasanjo’s anointed candidate for the NANS presidency. When Orkuma reluctantly vacated his office, the alliance blossomed. Once during Obasanjo’s tenure, Orkuma was reported to have told the Vice Chancellor of his university that after the president of the country, his vice, and the senate president, he was the next most powerful Nigerian! That was how Iorwase got closer to power and found himself at the National Assembly.

Hembe was still 36 years old in 2011 when he became Chairman of the House Committee on Capital Market and other Financial Institutions. A ‘youngie’ chairing a strategic economic committee of the lower chamber! Great news, right? But Hembe ruined it all, and soon found himself at the heart of a mighty bribery allegation.

His committee had picked an unusual interest in the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and decided to probe it. The committee accused Arunma Oteh, Director-General of the agency, of squandering a princely N30 million on hotel accommodation in just eight months, expending N850,000 (later clarified as N85,000 for a meal eaten by a team of experts) on just a meal. In a matter of days, the committee claimed to have unearthed documents proving underhand dealings in the handling of the DG’s accommodation and official cars.

Not one to go down alone, Oteh fought back, alleging that the committee had demanded a combined bribe of N44million from her. She said “Hembe lacks credibility. For instance, he collected estacode and other travel allowances from the Securities and Exchange Commission to travel to the Dominican Republic on a capacity enhancement conference for capital market regulators. He did not go neither did he return the money collected.”
She added that he also “asked the commission to contribute N39 million towards the ongoing charade of a public hearing and demanded another N5 million cash on Tuesday, March 13, 2012. He made both demands by proxy. So, I doubt it if I can have fair hearing from this committee and this fact has been more than demonstrated with the way you are handling this important issue.” Hembe could not wrestle himself out of the allegations.

In February 2017, the House of Representatives mandated its committee on Federal Capital Territory to investigate the Centenary City project in Abuja.
On the first day of the hearing, a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Pius Anyim, accused Hembe, who was the chairman of the committee, of pursuing a personal agenda.
When it was time for Mr. Anyim to speak, he said “Mr. Chairman, I want to put it to you that you have personal motives, you have told everyone who cared to listen that when the former Director General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC) Ms. Arunma Oteh accused you of demanding bribe, you have pushed for her sack and I refused to sack her as the SGF, so this is an opportunity to get back at me.

“You have been threatening to conduct this public hearing for over one year now, we only discovered your game plan for all the postponement when you started sending messages to the Managing Director to come and see you privately, I want you to know that nobody will come and see you privately”.

Hembe also engaged in a war of words with the former chairman of the House Appropriation committee, Abdulmumuni Jibrin, after the House suspended the latter for one year when he accused the leadership of budget padding.

Hembe has often diverted constituency projects meant for Vandeikya/Konshisha federal constituency and names the projects as his own. He deceives the people into believing that he is working for them. He diverted a road meant for the Jechira constituency to Nyiman in Makurdi and called it his project.

Such a man with a stinking record of corruption and cult activities does not possess the credentials to lead Benue State as Governor. He should better jettison the idea and stop wasting his resources.


* Pitila writes from Gboko, Benue State

A Makurdi High Court has issued an order of interim injunction, restraining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), its National Working Committee (NWC), National Executive Committee (NEC) or its National Officers (elected or appointed) from expelling the governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom.

Justice A.I Itoyonyiman issued the order on Thursday following a Suit with number MHC/46/2023 which was brought before the court on Wednesday, February 15th, 2023.

In the suit, Governor  Ortom is the Plaintiff/Applicant while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are first and second Defendant/ Respondents respectively.

The court upon hearing the Affidavit of Hon. Abraham Kwaghngu, Politician, Nigerian Citizen of Governor's Office, Benue State Government House, Makurdi, Benue State, sworn to and filed at the High Court Registry, Makurdi on 15th February, 2023 made the following order:

“Restraining the 1" Defendant/Respondent either by itself or its National Working Committee and/or it National Executive Council and/or its National officers (elected or appointed) and/or its North- Central Zonal Executive Officers (elected or appointed) and/or its Benue State Officers (elected or appointed) and/or its Guma Local Government Area Officers (elected or appointed) and/or its Nzorov Council Ward Officers (elected or appointed) or any of its other organs or officials (anyhow so called) from expelling, suspending or levying any other punishment on the Plaintiff/Applicant pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.

“An interim order of injunction is also made restraining the 2nd Defendant/Respondent either by itself or any of its Officials/Officers/Directors/Departmental or other Heads/any other officer by whatever name called from receiving and/or acting upon any communication made by the 1st Defendant/Respondent seeking to disqualify from contesting or seeking not to be placed on the ballot paper the name of the Plaintiff/Applicant as the 1st Defendant's candidate for the Benue North West Senatorial District in the 2023 general election pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.

“An order of interim injunction is made restraining the 2nd or Defendant/Respondent either by itself any of its Officials/Officers/Directors/Departmental or other Heads/any other officer by whatever name called from refusing for whatever reason to place the name of the Plaintiff/Applicant on the ballot to contest the Benue North West Senatorial election slated for February 25th, 2023 or any other rescheduled dated pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction”.

Governor Ortom had earlier approached the court with the following demands:

“An Order of interim injunction restraining the 1st Defendant/Respondent either by itself, or its National Working Committee, and/or its National Executive Council, and/or its National Officers (elected or appointed), and/or its North-Central Zonal Executive Officers (elected or appointed), and/or its Benue State officers (elected or appointed), and/or its Nzorov Council Ward Officers (elected or appointed), or any of its other organs or officials (anyhow so called) from expelling, suspending or levying any other punishment on the Plaintiff/Applicant, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.

“An Order of interim injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant/Respondent either by itself or any of its Officials/Officers/Directors/Departmental or other Heads/any other officer by whatever name called, from receiving and or acting upon any communication made by the 1 Defendant/Respondent seeking to disqualify from contesting or seeking not to be placed on the ballot paper the name of the Plaintiff/Applicant as the 1st Defendant's candidate for the Benue North West Senatorial District in the 2023 general elections, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction.

“An Order of interim injunction restraining the 2nd Defendant/Respondent either by itself or any of its Officials/Officers/Directors/Departmental or other Heads/any other officer by whatever name called, from refusing for whatever reason to place the name of the Plaintiff/Applicant on the ballot, to contest the Benue North West Senatorial election, slated for 25th February, 2023 or any other rescheduled dated, pending the determination of the Motion on Notice for Interlocutory Injunction”.

The matter has been slated for hearing on the 24th of February, 2023.


Nathaniel Ikyur
Chief Press Secretary,
February 16th, 2023


 



…As PDP Rally Witnesses Low Turnout 


By Vincent Atondu


Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue State have expressed their disappointment in the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar for failing to condemn the attacks on their communities which have forced them into different camps for more than five years. 


The IDPs were reacting to what they called “Atiku’s lame statement” when he addressed the PDP presidential rally yesterday at Aper Aku stadium in Makurdi. Atiku, while speaking on the occasion, said if elected, he will ensure that peace returns between herdsmen and farmers in Benue state and also promised to provide security. But he failed to condemn the attacks by his Fulani kinsmen on the state. This has angered those who are in IDP camps and some of them vehemently spoke out and vowed to reject the PDP presidential candidate during the coming elections. Remember that INEC has made arrangements to give IDPs the opportunity to also vote. 


One of the IDPs Tersur Ayaga who spoke in Tiv language at the Abagena camp said “what is more disturbing to us is the fact that Atiku makes campaign promises to ensure security, but is not being sincere. His silence over the killing of our people shows that he will be worse than Buhari. We were waiting yesterday to hear him condemn the attacks on us and warn his Fulani people who have occupied our communities to leave, but he didn’t do anything like that. We don’t trust him”.


Another member of the camp, Mrs Bridget Shember said Atiku’s refusal to visit the camp and sympathize with them when he knows that he needs their votes is proof that he is only pretending about what he said that he will provide security. 


“Since his brothers started killing us, he has been in Benue state but not bothered to know how we are surviving. Atiku has never sent even a bag of garri to us. Is it when he has power that he will remember us? I don’t believe him ooo” 


A young man named Jonathan Mnenga who lost both parents during the 2018 twin attacks on Guma and Logo and has been living with his younger siblings in the Daudu IDP camp, broke down in tears while reacting to what he described as Atiku’s mockery of the victims.


“Who will vote for Atiku if all Benue people are killed before the elections? He has shown hatred towards the people of the state. For him, the lives of cows are more important than the lives of human beings. Does Atiku care to know how I and my younger ones feed? All he wants from us are our votes. I won’t vote for a man who does not believe that I exist”. 


The Benue IDPs pointed out that as the “Zege Mule u Tiv” Atiku has not visited the state even once to say ‘thank you’ to the people after they voted for him in 2019 when he defeated President Buhari in the state. Nearly two million Benue people have been displaced with over 6,000 deaths recorded as a result of herdsmen attacks on Benue state. 


As the 2023 general elections draw closer, the PDP Presidential candidate has an enormous burden to win the confidence of the Benue people. Unfortunately, observers say Atiku does not seem to realize this fact. They fear that he will be only for a section of the country and not for all Nigerians. That he will pamper and protect Fulani terrorists because of his ethnicity. These and more fundamental issues are starring Atiku in the face as we head to the 2023 polls.


The presidential candidate of Labour party Mr Peter Obi came second in the recent presidential trending search on google, his vice Hon Dalti also came second in the.

FOLLOW THIS LINKS TO VIEW EVERY DETAILS  

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Second link 

https://www.highcpmrevenuenetwork.com/wetphu67p?key=645c946fd227d8093257446bbfd43dd2

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We read with disgust the comments of the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, George Akume while campaigning in Gboko two days ago where he launched a verbal attack on the administration of Governor Samuel Ortom and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.

Akume’s utterances smacked of someone who is riding a sick horse (APC) and is not sure of getting to his destination. His attack on the PDP government is a clear pointer to the fact that he and his Miyetti Allah party have nothing with which to campaign. He is aware that 2023 is the end of his inglorious and infamous political career and the best way for him is to ceaselessly insult PDP directly or through sponsored mercenaries.

Benue people, like other Nigerians have made up their minds to reject the Fulani occupation agenda known as Muslim-Muslin ticket. Anyone campaigning for Tinubu and Shetima is wasting his time inflating a flat tyre.

And that fake man called Hyacinth Alia ought to know that as a priest of the Catholic Church (though suspended), we are shocked and disappointed that he is the one championing the Islamization agenda and takeover of Benue lands by Fulanis. We, the people of the state will respond to him at the appropriate time. But before then, he must be made to understand that he is a traitor. His acts of betrayal by taking money from some Fulani governors with a promise to give their people free access to lands will be met with humiliating rejection!

Back to George Akume. The man who had no single motion or bill to his name in 12 years at the Senate does not qualify to criticize anyone on leadership. Akume ran the worst administration in the history of Benue State with nothing good to remember him for. He was rejected by the people of Zone B in 2019 and will be rejected again with his Islamic agenda this year.

Akume and Alia are only ‘useful idiots’ in the hands of Fulani. He has forgotten so soon that the Northern elites were the first to reject him when he vied for the position of Senate President during the 8th Senate. The Fulani hegemony particularly said the man they described as "Dan Giya" which means drunkard in Hausa was not fit to preside over activities at such a hallowed chamber. The Oligarchs said the man who has always shown the attributes of a traitor, betraying his people for peanuts and unmerited political favours is not someone they could trust with a high position.

George Akume thinks only about himself and his family when power is concerned; That is why after 12 years in the National Assembly, he is insisting that his wife Regina must go to the House Reps. As far as it benefits him, Akume romances with enemies of Benue State, but whenever he gets power, he hardly uses it to benefit his people. It is no longer news that the Fulani hegemony has always gone beyond limit to put hurdles on the way of any Tiv man. They are using Akume now against Governor Ortom.

It is obvious that Akume was not satisfied with the humiliation he suffered in 2019 and wants to taste a little more of the sour soup this year. Benue people are ready with their PVCs to serve APC pepper!

Singed:
Comrade Ternenge Bendega
President, Benue Alliance for Democracy.

 A Nigerian woman by the name of Chiamaka Agim has disclosed the response that she received from Zenith Bank in response to her complaint that more than N4 million mysteriously vanished from her Zenith Bank account.



The bank advised her that she ought to be grateful for the fact that she is still alive.
On Tuesday, she uploaded a video to Twitter in which she begged the bank to give her back the money she had lost.
Agim told FIJ that she was unwinding in her apartment on the evening of January 9, 2023, when she received three notifications for debits that amounted up to a total of N4.039 million. Agim was speaking to FIJ about the incident.
The woman who lives in Lagos further stated that she opened the bank account that was subsequently cleaned out of all of her savings when she was employed with Zenith Bank.
"Around 8.25 in the morning, when I saw the first alert, I was under the impression that it was a message from WhatsApp. "When I checked it, I couldn't believe it when I saw that it was a notification for N3.715 million," she added.
I was perplexed because I had not given permission for any transaction, so I opened the mobile banking application for my bank to see what was going on. At that time, I received a second debit notice for the amount of N222,000, and then I received a third warning for the amount of N100,000.
Agim claimed to the FIJ that the authorities at Zenith Bank did not take her complaint seriously when she reported the incident on Tuesday at two branches of the bank located in the Yaba area of the state. Agim told the FIJ that she reported the incident at two branches of the bank.
She stated that she was given the instruction to compose a letter of complaint, which she completed and then handed in at each branch of Zenith Bank.
"In the beginning, I went to the Herbert Macaulay branch of the bank, and I explained to the customer service person that I needed to have a conversation with the bank's management. "At that moment, a woman emerged from her office and instructed me to accompany her back to the office," the witness related to the FIJ.
"I am not sure if she is the manager of the branch, but I am positive that she is in a position of authority. She advised me that I ought to give thanks to God that I am still alive because as long as there is life, there is hope.
The former employee of Zenith Bank proceeded to a another bank in Alagomeji, Yaba, because the reaction she received from the first branch did not meet her expectations.
Despite the fact that she claimed the manager at the second branch was initially careless in his answer, Agim mentioned that she still got the necessary attention in comparison to the first location that she visited.
"After I had finished writing a letter in accordance with the manager's instructions, he informed me that they were going to investigate it. She shared this information with the FIJ and added that "he also said he would see what they could accomplish before Friday."
Zenith Bank responded to FIJ's request for comments by stating that the referred complaint was being reviewed and that feedback was being conveyed to the consumer.
See the video down below:

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