Ex-minister condemns Catholic diocese for stopping Governor Ortom’s speech

macfranc007 January 03, 2018 Nigeria News today & Breaking news ▷ Read Nigerian newspapers 24/7 David Oladele

- A former minister of state for education Jerry Agada has spoken on the recent birthday celebration of Senator George Akume

- Agada frowned at that Catholic diocese for allegedly disrespecting Governor Samuel Ortom during the recent birthday celebration of Senator George Akume

- He, however, declared that the governor is an humble person who ought be respected

A former minister of state for education Jerry Agada, on Tuesday, January 2, condemned the manner the Catholic diocese in Gboko for allegedly stopping Benue state governor Samuel Ortom's speech during the recent birthday celebration of Senator George Akume.

Punch reports that Agada made this known in Makurdi said the refusal of the church to allow the governor to speak at the event was an insult to the sensibility of the people.

It was learnt that the church allegedly prevented the governor from making a remark at the 64th birthday ceremony of the former governor held in his country home, Wannune in the Tarka local government area.

He said if the church had made a law outlawing or banning politicians from speaking, there would not have been any query with its stoppage of Ortom, adding that the governor, a humble person, would have respected the ban.

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According to him, ''But an instance where you allow Senator Akume who is a subject of the governor to speak and deny the governor the opportunity to do same, then it is not fair. I think it was done based on primordial reasoning and I condemn it.’’

Meanwhile, NAIJ.com had reported that the state government on Thursday, December 28, denied reports of rift between the governor Ortom and the Gboko Catholic Diocese.

The state government said reports of various statements arising from a thanksgiving mass in honour of Senator George Akume at the St. Christopher's Catholic Church is misleading.

We told President Buhari not to be in a hurry to come back - Governor Ortom - on NAIJ.com TV: