In what could best be described as a battle for the control of power in Benue State, Governor Samuel Ortom, has reshuffled his cabinet, which affected four commissioners with his political godfather, Senator George Akume’s loyalists, dominating the list.
Of the affected commissioners include, Nick Wende from Ministry of Water Resources and Environment, Mrs. Mwuese Mnyim of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, that of Culture and Tourism, Sekav Iortyom, as well as Chief Odeh Ageh, who was in charge of Information and Orientation.
Our observed that the first three commissioners, (Wende, Mnyim and Iortyom) were brought into Ortom’s cabinet by Senator Akume and both hail from the same senatorial axis (Benue North West, aka zone B) with the Senator; while Chief Ageh was brought in by the governor and he hails from Benue South senatorial district.
Mr. Iortyom was booted out of office over his alleged involvement in the gruesome murder of a senior lecturer in the Department of Political Science, University of Mkar, Mr. Wilfred Aondosoo Bula last year, a development that prompted the governor to relieve him of his appointment and eventually sack.
Several efforts by Senator Akume to save Mr. Iortyom’s name did not work as we learnt that the governor’s decision to rejig his cabinet follows months of criticisms from political analysts that his administration has recorded low performance, two years since he was elected.
The exercise is also coming barely three days after former Minister of Steel in the Second Republic, Wantaregh Paul Unongo, promised to mediate in the political face-off between Governor Ortom and his predecessor, Dr. Gabriel Suswam to reconcile them in the interest of peace and development of the state.
It was gathered that the cabinet shakeup was a deliberate strategy by the governor to put his foot soldiers on ground and consolidate his forces to enable him sail through his second term dreams, come 2019.
Meanwhile, the governor in a statement by his Media Adviser, Tahav Agerzua, a copy, obtained by this medium also named Prof. Anthony Ijohor, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), as the substantive Secretary to the State Government (SSG). He replaces the ailing Barrister Targema Takema, who had been on sick leave.

Hmmm................in politics;no permanent enemies,no permanent friends,everything is centred on personal interested.

Benue state seems to be producing the most nefarious politicians in naija.