Group Faults PDP Over Derogatory Remarks On Benue Security Advisor

Group Faults PDP Over Derogatory Remarks On Benue Security Advisor

By Benjamin Itodo, Makurdi

A group under the aegis of “APC Youth Group for Good Governance” (AYG3) has flayed remarks by the PDP it termed as ‘derogatory’ against the Benue State Security Advisor Chief, Sgt Joseph Har (rtd).

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had issued a press statement a few days ago through its Publicity Secretary Bemgba Iortyom accusing the government of Fr Hyacinth Alia of “worrisome incompetence and lack of understandingng of security matters”.

In the statement, the PDP said that it was “aware of a brewing tussle for the office of Security Adviser between an ex NCO (Non Commissioned Officer) who it was alleged was demoted from the rank of Sergeant to Corporal in the Nigerian Army and a retired Army Colonel”.

But in a statement by the AYG3 in Makurdi on Wednesday titled “Attention Bemgba Iortyom: About the man Chief Sgt Joseph Terwase Har” and signed by Erastus Kange and Tyokase Dzungwede, chairman and secretary respectively, the group observed that they have noticed how in “2 publications, the PDP publicity secretary had made very defematory statements that were meant to injure the Special Adviser and misinform the people about the security efforts of Governor Hyacinth Alia”

The group noted that “even the Chief of Army Staff who is the highest Army officer in any country’s Army cannot address a Sergeant in such derogatory manner as a “bloody sergeant” as Bemgba Iortyom did in one of his write ups”.

They described as “a tissue of lies the allegation that the Security Advisor was demoted from Sergeant to Corporal”. They said that the PDP were free to check the Security Adviser’s record with the military where they would discover that he retired as a Chief Sergeant and officer in charge of Marine Company.

The group further averred that Chief Sgt Har who had seen action in Liberia, Bakassi and the Niger Delta was a fine military gentleman who was a Company Commander with 96 fighting Soldiers, 15 military police (Mopols) and 6 DSS officers under his Command overseeing the Port Harcourt waterfront during the Niger Delta militant days.

The group also accused the Benue PDP scribe “of speaking from ignorance as everybody knows that the position of Special Adviser on Security Matters is not a command function and doesn’t require someone to command the serving commanders in a state but someone with the requisite knowledge to advise the governor and to liaise with the Law Enforcement Agencies on behalf of the governor.

“Rev Fr Hycinth Iormem Alia has a huge responsibility to fix the rot in the Benue system and Sergeant or General shouldn’t be his major concern as he can decide to chose even a civilian like Nasir El Rufai chose Hon Samuel Aruwan in Kaduna state and heavens did not fall “, part of the statement read.