GOVERNOR Samuel Ortom of Benue State has indicated that he is willing to forgive the former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole as regards a N10billion libel suit he instituted against him.
He said this on Wednesday in view of the submission at the commencement of the hearing that Oshiomhole’s counsel indicated that they were considering retracting the offensive publication that warranted the legal action.
Ortom had dragged the former Edo State Governor to court after he accused him (Ortom) during an APC press conference, held on July 27, 2018, of having a hand in the death of two Catholic priests and other parishioners at Mbalom Community, Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State, owing to a claim that one of the priests had preached a very critical sermon against Governor Ortom.
“If he comes back now to tender an apology to me and also go back to the same news medium that he used to scandalise and vilify me to have the apology published and also meet the condition set by my lawyers, I will certainly forgive him,” he said.
Counsel to the Governor, Samuel Irabor, had, on Tuesday, told the Makurdi High Court, presided over by Justice Augustine Ityonyiman that in view of the fact that Oshiomhole’s lawyer had informed him about plans to retract the offensive publication, they would “apply for another date to take a look at the terms of the settlement canvassed by the defendants.”
Confirming this, Titus Akuhwa, holding brief for Oshiomhole’s lead counsel, Festus Jumbo, said, “That is the true position of the matter. We have met and we are drawing out the terms of the settlement.”
Justice Ityonyiman, therefore, adjourned the case to October 29, 2020, for a report on the out-of-court settlement.
Responding, Ortom said, “I am a Christian and the Bible says forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. So, if your brother offends you and comes back to apologise, you will forgive him. Moreover, the conditions are there, and I know that I was innocent even when he made all those allegations…
“I know I also offend others, and I keep saying that they should forgive me. That is life, for us to live together we must learn to forgive one another and move on.
“The problems of this country today are beyond those trivial things. We have major security, social, political and economic problems all over the place. So we must come together. These issues are beyond political party differences.
“The situation requires every one of us to reason together on how we can survive as a country. Even if we are not concerned about this country, we should be concerned about our children. We should be concerned with how we can make this country better than where it is today.”
