By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has reportedly ordered the removal of David Olofu from the list of prominent Idoma achievers slated for honours Saturday, June 29, 2024.
The Och’Idoma, Agabaidu Elaigwu Odogbo Obagaji John, CON, had included Olofu who served as finance commissioner in the administration of former Governor Samuel Ortom, on a broad-based list of deserving honorees at the forthcoming event.
Alia, a Catholic priest, and his deputy, Samuel Ode are also on the list. Godwin Obla, reputed to be the first Senior Advocate of Nigeria, (SAN) from Idomaland, is equally on the 17-man list.
While Alia is to be conferred with the title of Okamaleya K’Idoma, (the promise keeper); Ode will be invested with the honour of Ebeneigbogwu K’Idoma. Obla is listed for investiture as Oyakwei K’Idoma, (the one who gets things done), while Olofu from Apa local government area, has been primed as Owo’Ichoha K’Idoma. Abba Adaudu, Francis Alochu, Nick Eworo, John Otse Aboh, Ameh Idoko, Bonny Apochi, Ojotu Ojema, Ogaji Bright Igodo, Paul Samuel Edeh, are some distinguished Idoma achievers penned down for the Saturday June 29, 2024 ceremony. Ujah Innocent, Ochacho Muhammad, Michael Oglegba, Lami Danladi, Patrick Agwo Olonta, also feature on the roster of honorees.
HRM Obagaji, who was installed Och’Idoma in December 2021 by Ortom, is a Pastor of the Deeper Life Christian Ministry. The scheduled investiture is perhaps the Och’Idoma’s biggest event yet, having deployed a high-powered, dispassionate committee to select worthy Idoma frontliners deserving of recognition.
While no official reason has been adduced for Olofu’s delisting, it may not be unconnected to his membership of the Ortom administration, for the latter’s straight eight year stint in office.
There has been no love lost between Alia and Ortom since the change of baton between both men in May 2023. In gestapo style, Alia’s agents started off last year impounding the vehicles of many Ortom associates who had been allocated the vehicles via a decision of the State Executive Council, (SEC) and who had paid for the vehicles.
Alia has also repeatedly promised to probe the Ortom government. He recently accused the preceding government, among others, of leaving a salary burden of over N350bn for his administration to offset, a claim that is yet to be proven.
Alia’s vindictiveness in the Olofu matter has been very widely criticised by many political watchers.
“People cannot understand why David Olofu is being scapegoated just for being a top functionary in the Ortom dispensation. He couldn’t have appointed himself to the office, he actually set aside his thriving business concerns to oblige the call to serve.
“As the exchequer of the state, Olofu no doubt, occupied an enviable position of responsibility. He was, however, never the chief executive of the state, nay the approving officer. The genuineness of Alia’s priesthood is also being questioned, especially because of his alleged style of vengeful governance”, John Adoche, a youth leader from Idoma land told our Correspondent.
Traditional rulers have been variously undermined over time by the overbearing over-lordship of many Governors. Yahaya Bello who is on the run from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), for the monumental heist he committed as Governor of Kogi State, disrespected the immediate past Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, the nonagenarian Ado Ibrahim. He embarrassed the now departed grandfather by issuing him a query over nothing.
In Kano, there is a subsisting ding-dong between an Emir of Kano appointed by the Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, in the person of Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, and the recently deposed Emir, Ado Bayero.
There have been recent murmurs about a plot to unsettle the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, the spiritual leader of Muslims in Nigeria, who has been on the throne since 2006. The administration of governor Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto has debunked that rumour which gained rapid ascendancy in popular discourse.
“The investitures fixed for Saturday June 29, 2024, in Idomaland, will proceed as scheduled, even as the people of Benue State remain confounded about the Olofu saga”, a title holder in Idoma land who felt insulted by Alia’s decision, told our reporter.