‘He Is Just Looking for Our Trouble' — Benue Commissioner Slams Obi

Benue State Commissioner for Information, Solomon Iorpev, has accused the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, of disregarding official protocol and 'courting trouble' with the state government. Iorpev made the comments while reacting to the blockage of Obi's convoy by some youths in the state on Tuesday. According to the commissioner, the incident was not the first occasion on which Obi had failed to formally notify the state government of his visit, despite his status as a former governor and high-profile individual. He maintained that the state government was expected to provide security and protection for Obi during his visit, but said the absence of an official notification made this difficult. He said, 'A high-profile person who has been a former governor of a state is coming into the state; he should have written a letter to the State Government. 'We are supposed to guarantee his safety and protection, but in an instance where no letter was written, we could not guarantee his safety. 'This is not the first time he is doing this. He is just looking for our trouble. We are peace loving and hospitable people.' Iorpev, however, said he could not identify the youths responsible for blocking Obi's convoy. He explained that Obi's visit coincided with a meeting involving youths from the 23 local government areas of Benue State, suggesting that some of those attending the gathering may have been on the road when the incident occurred. 'So, if they were coming from either Tarka, Gboko, Buruku, Ushongo, Konshisha or Vandeikya at the same time of his visit and blocked the road, it is unfortunate. I do not know the youths who did that,' the commissioner said.