Influential Catholic Priest in Benue state, Rev. Fr. Solomon Mfa has advised Dr. Timothy Yangien Ornguga who was been nominated as commissioner by the governor of Benue state, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia to decline the nomination as a result of the controversy that has continued to trail the announcement.
Dr. Ornguga’s nomination has been met with stiff resistance from some lawyers who he taught as students during their undergraduate days at the Benue state University.
Kamo Sende, who is the leader of the group opposed to his nomination alleged that the Yangien’s nomination to a higher office, was another opportunity for the nominee to abuse his office, because of the way he deliberately failed students and boasted that watching his student fail gave him satisfaction.
A formal petition opposing the confirmation of the nominee as a commissioner has been submitted to the Benue state House of Assembly.
But another group of former students of the University’s Faculty of Law where Dr Ornguga teaches, led by Bemgba Iortyom, faulted the claims by those opposed to his nomination, arguing that Dr. Ornguga is a man of “unimpeachable character, strength, and drive for excellence”.
Weighing in on the controversy, Rev. Fr. Solomon Mfa who is the convener of Kyegh Sha Shuwa, a Tiv Cultural group, in a post on his verified Facebook page advised the embattled lecturer to “gently decline the nomination”
Father Mfa is hugely popular and commands lot of respect from across Benue state, especially among the Tiv people.
The post reads:
“After reading so much FOR and AGAINST the KWANDE nominee, I have seen so much to PRAY for him and LOVE him. Every coin has two sides. So is the Professor and all of us.
“I have come to love him more not just for his other strengths, but because some have reduced it to a KWANDE thing and my first Local Government was KWANDE before I became GUMA and now MAKURDI.
“I love you my brother.
“I have always begged those who love me to love me ENOUGH to counsel me in TRUTH. It is the same thing I beg from my loved ones that I dare to GIVE YOU MY LOVELY BROTHER.
“My BROTHER, I advise that you gently decline the nomination! Some “NO” now prepares us for a bigger “YES” tomorrow. At the moment, it may be your GOOD FRIDAY, but it may usher in your EASTER SUNDAY someday”.
His post elicited huge comments with those in support and those against almost evenly divided.
