Benue PDP claims wide acceptability

DEPUTY governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, Mr. John Ngbede, says the party’s campaign team, despite its travails across the state, received an overwhelming acceptability from indigenes.

   Ngbede told The Guardian in Makurdi at the weekend that the reception their campaign train got across the state indicated that the party stood a bright chance. 

   He promised that their team, if elected, would emulate South Africa in the area of horticulture as well as provide inputs to agric farmers for bumper harvest, which would in turn boost youth employment and the state’s internally generated revenue.

   Acknowledging that the Governor Gabriel Suswam administration did a lot in the area of infrastructure development, he said they would consolidate on the achievements in roads, health services, water and environment.

   Nevertheless, he denied insinuations that he desperately lobbied to be deputy governor, stating rather that the elders found him best fit for the job and nominated him, adding that God has a hand in it.

   More so, he cautioned against blackmailing Suswam and the PDP over salary arrears, as the problem is not peculiar to Benue but affects many others across federation. 

   According to him, Suswam is not the only governor that owed salaries, “Aper Aku left behind salaries, Akume did, and the issue of salary is not limited to Benue. Many other states like Lagos, Kano, Plateau and Edo, among others, have similar problem, which is due to global economic downturn.

   “I am happy that the people are not complaining that Suswam did not do rural roads or other infrastructures but has also promised to clear all outstanding salaries before he leaves office.”

   On the incessant crisis between the Fulani and Benue communities, Ngbede said they would, if elected, unravel the root causes of the problem and dialogue to end it, while the Federal Government should be involved to deploy beef up in the crisis-prone areas.