Benue South Youths Defend Senator Abba Moro, Urge Politicians To Avoid Divisive Campaigns

From Hassan Taiye

A youth group operating under the umbrella of the Otukpo/Abakwu Youth Progressive Union in Benue South has advised political aspirants and contestants to conduct their campaigns responsibly and refrain from making comments capable of creating tension in the political space.

In a statement jointly signed by the Secretary-General of the group, Mr. Inalegwu Ijoganu, and John Ijagwu, the youths expressed displeasure over remarks allegedly made by former House of Representatives member, Hon. Francis Ottah, during a recent interview on Idoma Television.
According to the group, the comments made during the interview were inappropriate, alleging that the former lawmaker focused on accusations and name-calling instead of discussing issues relevant to the people.
“We watched with dismay as Hon. Ottah, rather than concentrate on issues, devoted time to spewing allegations and calling names during the interview,” the statement read.
The youths stated that despite political realignments within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and defections to the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abba Moro, whom they believed was the target of the remarks, has continued to make significant contributions through legislative activities and constituency projects.
They explained that the duties of lawmakers extend beyond financial matters and include lawmaking, oversight functions, motions, petitions and constituency development projects. The group added that reducing legislative responsibilities to financial considerations was misleading and amounted to an indictment of all representatives from Benue South since 1999.
The group commended Senator Moro for what it described as his resilience and developmental efforts across Benue South, noting that his achievements in Zone C remain unprecedented.
They also challenged Hon. Ottah to present his own achievements while in office instead of attempting to discredit the senator.
Highlighting Senator Moro’s legislative contributions since 2019, the group listed bills sponsored by the senator to include the establishment of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo; the Federal University of Health Sciences Teaching Hospital; the North Central Development Commission (NCDC); and the Federal College of Agricultural Technology, Opialu-Ojapo.
Other legislative proposals credited to him include bills on veteran welfare, independent candidacy, local government autonomy, support for families of fallen servicemen, and amendments to the Electoral Act.
The group also pointed to several motions and interventions by the senator, including advocacy against discriminatory age limits in employment opportunities.
On constituency development, the youths cited projects such as healthcare centres, classroom blocks, solar street lights, rural electrification schemes, road rehabilitation, bridge construction, transformer installations and other community-based interventions spread across Benue South.
The group urged political stakeholders to focus on issue-based campaigns ahead of future elections and avoid comments capable of escalating political tension within the district.