UGBAH STORMS KWANDE

Crowds: As Ugbah Storms Kwande

-              Donates 5 million naira to Church

-              ‘Hand over’, Akume tells Suswam

-              ‘Never trouble trouble until trouble troubles you’, “Fr. Aguh advises Politicians

-              PDP youths go on rampage

By our reporter

Steve Ugbah, Professor of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, California Sate University, USA, and Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN)Benue State gubernatorial candidate in the April elections, stormed Kwande Local Government, February, 13. Ugbah who was in the company of former governor of Benue State and Senator representing Zone B Dr. George Akume and Senator Joseph Akaagerger who represents Zone A, was in Ajio, shangev Ya  for A thanks Giving Mass and launching  for the roofing of St. Martin’s Parish Mbape, where he donated 5 million naira to the project. Ugbah noted that the money was their joint contribution for the development of the work of God.

        In a speech to the church congregation, Senator Akume said he had every reason to be at the parish because Rev. Father Aguh had been the head of his home Parish at Wanune for over three years and he saw the changes that he brought to his people, so he knew that he was a good man. He said everyone living had a reason to thank God. The Senator observed that some people have no legs, no access to good health care, so those who have all these things should be grateful to God. He revealed that though he had been invited for the thanks giving last year, he could not come but had assured them that he was going to come in a remarkable way. And that coming with a guber hopeful, was that remarkable way.

        Delivering the Homily at the thanksgiving mass, Rev. Father David Aguh spoke on the theme: “Foxes have holes, And the Birds of the Air Have Nests. But the Son of Man has No where to lay His Head”. He told the congregation that God had way of using people as His instruments irrespective of their age, since “He is not conditioned by time like we human being. The worth or value of a human being   lies not in grey hair or how long one has lived but in what he is able to achieve with his life in the community, based on what resources and opportunities God has given him”,  the  Reverend Father said. He said God was using Senator Akume and Prof. Steve Ugbah to enter into a covenant relationship with Mbape people that was going to bear permanent fruits. He urged the congregation to cooperate with God so that He could carry out His plan. He advised politicians not to “trouble trouble till trouble troubles them”. That no authority has power to impose error and if it resists the truth the truth must be upheld until it is admitted”. Father Aguh further admonished them not to let politics go along with sentiments and to promise only what they believe they can do not what they think they can.

        After the mass, Senator Akume and Prof Ugbah were held to a reception at Koti, Shangev-Ya. In a short introduction speech to the mammoth crowd, Akume criticized Governor  Gabriel Suswam, the incumbent who is gunning for a second term and called, on him to hand over power and leave office and go back from where he came. He said Suswam had failed and should go back to Abuja from where he came. Senator Akume apologized to the gathering for what he had done by installing Suswam as a governor. The obviously thrilled gathering cheered and followed the senator in shouting  “Hand over, Suswam hand over’ and   “Ugbah nyor shol changi” 

        “My name is Steve Torkuma Ugbah”, Prof Ugbah began in Tiv language after a hilarious preamble. “People say I am an American so the name  is called Stevoo in America”, he continued admits loud shouts by many young men “Steveoo….. Steveoo” and “the governor is talking”.

“       This is I who people said shouldn’t waste my time to come home and contest for governor, because if I come home to contest, something must change. Has something not changed?”, He asked and paused for the gathering to response and they shouted; “it has changed” “look” he continued. “I am a teacher; I have lived in the US for 37 years and people say I can’t speak Tiv language, but have  I not   spoken? ” He said some people in government, including the governor always travel abroad to learn the art of government but that he was bringing that home, closer to the people. He wondered whether it was not proper for an elder child to be sent to the farm to do the work his younger brother on the farm could not do. The governor, he said was his younger brother who had failed to do the work, a reason why he Ugbah an elder child was offering to go and help. He said all the things people in government were going abroad to learn, he had brought them with him and attributed it to the work of God. ‘I have come to see you and let you see the one who is going into government House to sweep it so that you can enter”, Ugbah said. “I am not entering the  government House, instead you are going to enter it. It is not my work, it is yours”. Prof Ugbah said. That he had not brought paradise with him but was going to provide an environment where everyone could attain what he had to achieve, ‘

Others who were at the reception included top Shangev-Ya Sons like Bar. Vincent Uji, Charles Ayede. Adaa Maagbe, Charles Mary Agbur; also Rhoda Ako, Hon. Simon Abua-Yajir, Jerome Torshimbe, Hon Terfa Atii, Peter Ichull etc.

        KSN  can reveal authoritatively that some days before the event, PDP youths in Kwande had destroyed billboards  erected to welcome Prof Ugbah to the area. They claimed that Ugbah was going to be stopped from coming to Kwande. The intimidation of people prior to the event  got to the extent that the publisher and editor in-chief of KSN, Iorliam Amo Shija was forced by the youths led by one Kwaghhon Uja to delete certain pictures he had taken of their shameful  acts. They said if he published nonsense, they were going to teach him a lesson. However, Ugbah’s visit was peaceful as PDP thugs chickened out.