MARK VS ORTOM D BARROW: GYADO'S MISADVENTURE.

Former Senate President Senator David Mark May not have anticipated the attacks from his Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom over his comment on Wheel Barrow saga now dubbed " Ortom D Barrow" in Port Harcourt , Rivers State last Tuesday .

The response by Governor Samuel Ortom’s aide, Terver Akase does not even deserve a mention here as it was too banal and shallow in both thought and manner of delivery.

You work for a governor who for 16 years had been a member of the PDP and rose to become state official, national auditor and minister, yet you accuse the party of doing nothing thinking you’re exonerating the governor. Surely, there can’t be a better example of idiocy.

The one that can be helped to the status of remark by a minion is the piece by one Ken Gyado, who from nowhere rediscovered himself as an advocate of good governance and sought to deride Mark (Can you imagine!) based on that.

Mark was in Port-Hacourt and commended the Governor or Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, for the projects the governor has been able to do for his people within two years and recalled that in his state (Benue) the governor is empowering the people with wheel barrows.

The reference by Mark to wheel barrows for those who have not followed the trend is largely due to a recent development which depicted the Governor of Benue state, Ortom, as stocking some wheel barrows which had his name boldly ingrained on them for intended distribution in a youth empowerment drive.

Akase had issued a statement when the matter blew open to deny the governor’s role in the procurement and intended distribution of the carts but did admit that they were not photoshopped but real, saying they were appurtenances to be used by an agency of the state government for the purpose attributed in the story he was denying.

Note that at the time the statement was issued, Ortom was still Governor of Benue State and still exercised control over all the agencies and could vicariously either accrue benefits or suffer consequences through any of the agencies pursuing his programmes. If the agency for instance, had won laurels, the governor would have had no qualms attributing the mileage to his office but because it went sour, it was expedient to leave the agency on its own.

But even if one chose to give the governor the benefit of the doubt, it would have been subjected to scrutiny if only to make out something sensible from the issue. But no critically minded person would swallow the explanation by Ortom’s aide hook line and sinker since it left many gaps.

And this was Mark’s position by aligning himself with the original story that says Ortom intended to empower Benue youths with wheel barrows and for staying true to his convictions, people like Gyado would not let him be choosing to insult him since they have long been looking for that opportunity to settle old scores and to warm their ways to the hearts of an envisaged new pay master.

If you are in doubt, consider this. Shortly after Gyado posted his attack on Mark on his Facebook page and managed to get few pats on the back by people who share his sentiments, to stress that his efforts were not meant for that kind of traffic but tailored towards a defined motive, he posted a second time and this time, made sure he tagged the senior media aide to the governor for good measure. I'm sure he would be beside himself with joy when the aide commented ‘great work by all standards.’

But I'm sure Gyado by his queer character, would not want the matter to end there but would wish that something tangible follows for that has been his stock in trade all along.

When the PDP was the ruling party in Nigeria, Gyado had worked in the media and publicity department of the party. How he got the job is another story but what is of interest here is how he usually begs to be made the master of ceremony (MC) whenever the party is having a gathering that would be graced by