COAS suspends NAF officer for barring Gov. Ortom from seeing VP Osinbajo

Chief of Air Staff (COAS), Air Marshal Oladayo Amao has ordered the suspension of a senior officer for reportedly preventing the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom from seeing Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the Nigeria Air Force (NAF) Base in Makurdi, last Saturday.

Reports claim the incident did not go down well with the Vice President, who directed the COAS to investigate circumstances surrounding the last Saturday’s embarrassment on the Benue Governor, Ortom who had arrived at the NAF Base to receive the Vice President when the latter was transiting Makurdi enroute Taraba State to represent President Muhammadu Buhari as a Vsitor at the Federal University in Wukari, only to be barred by the Air Force personnel.

On learning about the incident involving his personnel, the COAS suspended the officer (whose identity has not been revealed) and assigned a new air officer to take command.

According to sources close to the Benue Governor, he also complained to federal officials, including the Vice President, who was startled by the Air Force officer’s actions and requested an explanation. The Chief of Air Staff ordered the officer to be suspended as a result of this.

Ortom had raised the alarm over his treatment, Saturday, at the hands of security detail attached to Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, who barred him from seeing the latter while on a brief stop-over visit to the state.

According to Ortom, who narrated his ordeal to correspondents at the Makurdi Government House, Saturday, ‘it is unfortunate that an ugly incident occurred today (Saturday) which is a breach of protocol and I felt so sad for our country Nigeria where everything has been reduced to politics.’

Ortom told the newsmen that upon receiving a letter from the Presidency informing him of a visit by the Vice President to nearby Taraba state but transiting through the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Base Makurdi, on Saturday, he immediately proceeded to the spot only to be bounced by Air Force personnel who barred him from seeing VP Osinbajo.

Governor Ortom said that following 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.

Governor Ortom also brandished the letter from the Presidency dated February 10, 2022, and signed by Amb. Abdullahi Gwary, Senior Special Assistant to the president on foreign affairs/head of protocol office of the Vice President, titled, ‘Visit of His Excellency, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria, To Wukari, Taraba State, Transiting through NAF Base Makurdi, on Saturday, 12th, January (February), 2022.’

“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 ceremony of our leader, Professor Ayua, had made all arrangements to go to Konshisha but a letter was brought to me that the vice president was transiting from Makurdi to Wukari.

“It is a normal thing that when distinguished people like the President or 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 Professor Ayua.

“This morning I went to the Airforce base to receive the Vice President who will be transiting to Wukari but unfortunately, I was barred in my own state. It is a breach of protocol

Governor Ortom described the action as political and warned that such would continue to retard development.

“This is politics taken too far and somebody must account for this. If the personality of the Vice President was passing and I didn’t go, it will be a breach of protocol on my side.

“How can I go to Air Force base and I’m barred? It has never happened, it is not acceptable. Maybe the Presidency that wrote to me is not aware of this. If we must make progress, we must learn to differentiate between politics and governance.

“I’m not a busy body, I have so many things to do. As I talk to you, the entire Gwer West is under siege. The Fulani are burning houses and I had to shelve everything to receive the Vice President. I feel so pained that politics have gone beyond what it is supposed to be. That is very bad.

“There is no permanent enemy in politics or permanent friend. Tomorrow, I can feel to be the best friend of Mr President if they do the right thing. I don’t hate the President or Vice President. All I’m saying is to add value to development. I have never insulted the President, I have never insulted the Vice President or the Federal Government but there are certain things they are doing that are wrong.”

Ortom has been heavily critical of the Presidency and has aimed constant attacks at President Muhammadu Buhari and his government on issues bordering on insecurity, nepotism, and perceived favoritism to the Fulani tribe in the country.