Ordinarily, having gotten used to Andy's distractive antics, his self-righteous and all-knowing posture over the years and the fact that his latest outing is a hatchet job for a desperate senatorial aspirant, the video does not deserve a rejoinder, but it has become necessary to set the record straight so as not to mislead the unsuspecting good people of Benue South.
In the video, Andy reeled out the projects and allocated funds in the 2024 budget amounting to about N1.8bn in a manner that looks like he was exposing something untoward.
We wish to state unambiguously that Senator Moro has nothing to hide to be unearthed by anyone. The senator remains the first and possibly the only lawmaker that has consistently published his constituency projects in the media.
Budgets are public documents that are available to all Nigerians in both hard and soft copies. So Andy and his allies should not make it look like they investigated and found out something wrong.
The Uwokwu electrification project mentioned in the video is ongoing. Contractor mobilized to site since last year and would have completed job if not for the unfortunate and politically-motivated impediment orchestrated by some persons. But the job is on course and will be completed in due time now that the issues have been resolved.
The Agricultural Value Chain Skills Acquisition training has since been concluded in Abuja and the beneficiaries are all over Benue South celebrating at the moment. Over 200 youths were mobilized from across the senatorial district for the training. They were trained and equipped with start-up capital.
The electrification of Otto and Ago communities in Ogbadibo has progressed steadily and at the verge of completion. Andy can go to those places to verify.
The construction of internal roads in Ugbokolo is ongoing. The report on the project is everywhere on social media.
The work on Aikpla-Ihilikpa road is going on steadily. The reconstruction work is in phases, beginning with the construction of bridges which is ongoing. One of the bridges has just been completed. Andy may well go there today, tomorrow or anytime for verification.
Senator Moro has bought and distributed drugs to healthcare centers and clinics in Benue South. The report was published copiously in the media.
Aside the projects mentioned in the attention-seeking video, there are several others the content creator failed to mention. The ongoing construction of four healthcare centers in Apa, Agatu, Otukpo and Obi LGAs is worthy of mention.
He also didn't mention the ongoing 3-month training of our youths in ICT in Otukpo. The ongoing reconstruction of Otukpo-Obi-Oju road that's is gulping a whooping sum of over N6bn should have been mentioned as well. Same with the ongoing electrification projects in several communities of the Benue South Senatorial District.
Andy and his sponsors should conclude their 'investigation' on the 2024 budget and see Senator Moro's capacity that we have been talking about. The senator is going all out to attract projects to Benue South in an unprecedented way and there's no looking back.
If Andy and his fellow armchair critics can put pressure on the state government to complement the senator's efforts in Benue South, the senatorial district would have been an El Dorado by now, unfortunately and disappointedly, Andy and his cotravellers would rather encourage the state government to continue to ignore the senatorial district to spite the entire Zone C.
Senator Moro is committed to serving his people and he's doing that passionately. Andy doesn't need to remind the senator of posterity. He was not there when the senator served his local government as chairman and left indelible marks everywhere. It wasn't Andy who advised the senator when he was minister and pulled thousands of our youths from the streets in an unprecedented way of employment.
It wasn't because of Andy's reminder that the senator, as Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Character, massively empowered Nigerian youths within one year. Andy didn't advise the senator before he sponsored and followed up on two establishment bills that, by God's grace will soon be assented to by the president. Bills that will contribute immensely to the socio-economic development of Benue South.
It wasn't because of Andy that the senator has been attracting and executing legacy projects all over the senatorial district and will do more in the next two years.
Andy should focus on his content creation business and know that the Senator, having lived with his people all his life, knows what they need and is going about providing those needs adequately and effectively.
We will not ask Andy and his sponsors to accord Senator Moro respect, as they can't give what they don't have, but we urge them to do due diligence next time before calling him out so that they can be taken seriously.
Whatever Senator Moro has facilitated and captured in the budget will be executed; he has no reason to shortchange his people. Meanwhile, the agencies where the senator's projects are domiciled are there and can be questioned by anybody who is not satisfied with anything.
Emmanuel Eche'Ofun John,
Media Adviser to the Senate Minority Leader
15/01/2025
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