A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and founder of Mzehemen U Tiv Foundation (MUTF), Prof Shadrach Kohol Iornem, has charged the Ushongo Local Government (LG) Executive Council of APC and ward-level leaders to promote unity among members of the party in the Benue North East local area.
Prof. Iornem gave the charge during a meeting with the party stakeholders comprising local government executives, ward executives, and Benue State Government appointees at Royal Partners’ Lessel, Ushongo Local Government Area (LGA) headquarters. During the meeting, the MUTF founder collapsed the structure of all his supporters from NNPP, PDP, YPP, PRP and Labour into the APC, as well as handed over the decampeees who had joined earlier in February this year to the APC Chairman in Ushongo.
According to Prof. Iornem, Ushongo APC should embody unity so that other LGAs can emulate it. He asserted that only a united party can win elections, urging the party to be united to re-elect His Excellency, Fr Hyacinth Alia, in the 2027 general elections.
He described Fr. Alia’s achievements in two years as transformational, pointing out the underpasses in Makurdi and Gboko, as well as other road projects, which he said the governor prioritised to improve not only road safety and reduce traffic congestion but also open up the roads to rural farmers to convey their farm produce to the cities.
The APC chieftain praised the governor’s prompt payment of salaries and pensions, building of factories, rehabilitation of Benue Links Limited, and reduction of the cost of transportation for the masses.
“This is the first time we are witnessing such infrastructural development in the history of Benue State,” Prof Iornem said while noting that the last administration to have made this type of transformation was the late Aper Aku administration.
In urging eligible voters without Voter’s Cards to go for their voter registration with INEC, Prof. Iornem said the way forward was to re-elect Fr. Alia for a second term to achieve more for the state until 2031. He, therefore, promised to provide all the logistics needed to support the movement of people to get registered.
In their separate responses, Elder Comos Adogo; Elder Alfred Acha; Mr Bem Igbadoo; Mr. Sixtus Agbanyi, Governor’s SSA on Transport and Logistics; Mr. Atetan Mvendaga, Gubernatorial Liason Officer Ushongo LGA; Mr Solomon Terkura Aondo; Hon Charles Igba-Ayu, Leader Ushongo Legislative Council; and Hon Tanzan Ndar, APC Secretary, Ushongo LGA, all praised Prof Iornem for joining the APC and his development initiatives.
In his remarks, Ushongo LG APC chair, Hon Tersoo Nyam, commended Prof. Iornem for initiating the meeting.
Hon Nyam, who expressed his desire for APC to grow in numbers, encouraged members of the party in all the wards of the LGA to work towards the greater good of the party.
On his way from the meeting, Prof Iornem met Elder Agber Iorzaa Nyagba, the secretary of the retired workers in Ushongo. The elated Elder Agber promised to rally about 1200 pensioners in Ushongo to support Prof. Iornem and, by extension, the Alia-led administration.
