Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Saturday, claimed that he was denied entry into the Nigerian Air Force base, where he wanted to receive Vice-President Yemi Osibanjo.
Ortom, who spoke to journalists at the Government House, Makurdi, said security personnel barred him on getting to the airport.
The governor brandished a letter of invitation from the Presidency dated February 10, 2022, and signed the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Foreign Affairs/Head of Protocol, Office of the Vice-President, Ambassador Abdullahi Gwary, titled, ‘Visit of His Excellency, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, Vice-President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, to Wukari, Taraba State, transiting through the NAF Base Makurdi, on Saturday, January (February) 12, 2022’.
The governor said upon receipt of the letter, he had to shelve other state matters and moved to the airport to receive the Vice-President, but regretted that he was barred from entering the airport.
Ortom stated, “It is unfortunate that an ugly incident occurred today, which is a breach of protocol, and I felt so sad for our country Nigeria, where everything has been reduced to politics.
“I was to attend the burial of our leader, Prof Ayua, and had made all arrangements to go to Konshisha, but a letter was brought to me about the Vice-President on transit from Makurdi to Wukari.
“It is a normal thing that when a distinguished person like the President or the Vice-President is passing through your state, the governor should receive him.
“So, I asked the deputy governor to represent me at the burial of Prof Ayua.
“This morning I went to the Air Force base to receive the Vice-President, who was to transit to Wukari, but unfortunately, I was barred in my own state; it is a breach of protocol.”
The governor described the incident as politics and warned that such would continue to retard development.
“This is politics taken too far and somebody must account for this. If the Vice-President is passing and if I don’t go (to receive him), it will be a breach of protocol on my side,’’ he added.
However, few hours after he raised the alarm, Ortom and the Nigeria Air Force authorities have resolved the matter.
Ortom later received the Vice President on his way back from Wukari where he attended the combined convocation ceremony of the University of Wukari.
The governor said that the Air Force authorities had apologised and he had accepted the apology.
Ortom who received the vice president at the Presidential wing of the Makurdi Airport said the misunderstanding came as a result of error in communication which had been resolved.
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