Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State and his predecessor, Dr. Gabriel Suswam, may have finally settled their differences following the intervention of the Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse who urged the duo to sheath their sword.
Daily Trust reports that Ortom and Suswam had been at logger head for nearly three years now over issues relating to the state finances which had generated animosity between them.
Ortom had on assumption of office in May 2015 set up a probe commission which indicted the former governor alongside 52 others of misappropriating the sum N107 billion during his reign between 2007 and 2015, an allegation Suswam had refuted despite currently facing several court charges in Abuja.
But, the royal father who rules over the warring parties as their traditional head, had mediated between them in a meeting which commenced on Sunday night and lasted until early hours of on Monday.
It was learnt that the monarch after hearing the sides of both factions urged them to set aside those things which divided them by closing the perceived gap and to embrace peace in order to move the state forward.
The Tor Tiv had stressed that as a father he felt very bad when the two distinguished sons of Tiv who are supposed to attract development were rather at logger heads, hence the need to call them together for reconciliation and to hear both sides.
Meanwhile, Ortom who confirmed the development to newsmen in Makurdi, admitted that the Tor Tiv urged him and Suswam to harmonise their differences, adding that they have also agreed to work together.
"We (Suswam and I) have agreed to work together to see how Benue will move forward," Ortom said.
Our correspondent recalled that there were also the intervention from elder-statesman and former Minister of Steel, Wanteregh, Paul Iorpuu Unongo and traditional rulers in the Sankera political axis particularly Shitile, where Suswam hailed from, sometimes last year on the need for reconciliation where both parties had agreed to ceasefire.
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