I’ve forgiven all who tell lies against me – Ortom

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has disclosed that he will instruct his lawyers to withdraw legal charges against all persons who tell lies in the media and other fora against his person and office.
He made the disclosure at the Palm Sunday Mass at St. Gabriel’s Catholic Mission, Tyav, in Makurdi.
The Governor said he received calls from several concerned people of the state who appealed to him to forgive those publishing falsehood against his person and government including a former Lagos Police Commissioner, Alhaji AbubakarTsav.
He said he decided to withdraw charges against those he had dragged to court in obedience to biblical injunctions which admonish believers to leave revenge to God as stated Romans 12: 19 and 20.
“Never seek revenge, my friends, but let God’s anger do it. If your enemies are hungry, feed them; if they are thirsty, give them a drink; for by doing this, you will make them burn with shame.”
“I will allow God to defend me because He made me Governor through the good people of Benue State and He knows that I’m here to serve the state selflessly, I hereby declare that I have forgiven all those who have told unprintable lies against me and will withdraw all legal charges against them”, he stated.
The Governor said his administration will not be distracted by attacks from the same people who had failed the state and have now resorted to sponsoring protests against his administration.
He said workers of the state are not on strike because for the first time, they know how much the state receives as revenue and how the funds are spent, stating that Benue had been able to pay workers’ salaries for more months than many states despite the dwindling economy.
“We have paid staff of Benue State University up to February because majority of Benue people will be affected if that institution is not in session owing to strike, we have also paid pensioners up to date because we know what it means to be in retirement even as political appointees have not been paid January and February salaries”, Governor Ortom said.
Governor Ortom said the internally generated revenue of the state had increased from N250 million to an average of N500 million, explaining that the construction and rehabilitation of over 700 primary schools from the N5.5 billion the State Government recently borrowed had proven its commitment to fulfilling campaign promises.
He thanked the priest in charge, Reverend Father Titus Igyeseh, and all members of St. Gabriel’s Catholic Mission, Tyav for their prayers for him before and during the 2015 elections.
Kneeling before the congregation, the Governor asked for forgiveness on behalf of the State Government over the demolition of the church by the previous administration.
He gave N5 million on behalf of Government and N2 million as his personal contribution to the rebuilding of the church.
He also assured the congregation that a new transformer will soon be installed in the area to supply light to the church and its neighborhood.