Governor Okezie Ikpeazu has given a direct response to Senator Smart Adeyemi calling his “drunkard”.
Speaking at the launch of Senate Minority Leader Enyinnaya Abaribe’s book ‘Made in Aba’ today March 1, Ikpeazu stated that he does not drink and does not begrudge those who do.
He added that things people say and the time they say it show how serious they are as leaders. Ikpeazu;
“I don’t drink [alcohol] and I don’t begrudge those who drink. In other countries where there are less problems than ours, people discuss big issues of economic growth, big issues of infrastructural development.
“They don’t talk about what people do and what people do not do. For us leaders, we ought to be mentors to the young ones. What you say and how you carry yourself, things you say and the time you say them speak a lot about how serious you are as a leader.
“That should be the size of my response.
“I will end by quoting what Chinua Achebe said in his book: ‘if a mad man picks your cloth while you are in the bathroom and takes off, and you go after him naked, nobody will know who is mad’.”
The authority of Universal Basic Education (UBE), Junior Secondary School, Nyiman layout, in Makurdi, Benue State has sent home all female students after a ‘familial spirit’ possessed seven of the girls.
The headteacher of the school, Catherine Ahom, who disclosed this on Monday, said the familial spirit called “iyor genen” by the Tiv people attacked four students last Friday and three others on Sunday, which prompted the school authority to send all the female students home.
Confirming the incident to the Nigerian Tribune, the Education Secretary, Makurdi Local Government Area Education Authority (LGEA), Patrick Aese, said the attack is popular among a section of Tiv people in Benue State.
“Our forefathers inherited it from their fathers and it has been with us. If it were to be in the village that it happened, they have particular herbs they will administer and within an hour they will come back to normal.” Aese explained.
“It is most common during burial and in most cases while whistling or making noise. Some colours like red trigger it among the affected people and when attacked, the affected people will be running and manifesting uncommon strength.” he added.
Aese, however, said the attack was “not contagious neither is it transferable.”
