05/08/2025
BREAKING NEWS: Former NANS President Orkuma Hembe Urges Dr. Ornguga to Decline Commissioner Nomination Over Alleged Past Misconduct
By Doose Adamgbe
In a strongly worded statement released today, former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Orkuma Hembe, has called on Benue State Commissioner nominee, Dr. Timothy Yangien Ornguga, to voluntarily withdraw his nomination in light of serious allegations against his academic record and conduct as a university lecturer.
Hembe, who noted his reluctance to engage in political commentary, broke his silence citing a personal and moral obligation to speak up, especially as one who was once “a victim of academic rascality.”
“Yes, I speak from a position of bias, unapologetically,” Hembe stated, “but please, don’t judge me without consulting your conscience.”
According to Hembe, over 300 former students of the Law Department at Benue State University—spanning various graduating years and many now successful legal practitioners—have signed a petition against Dr. Ornguga. These petitioners, he claims, are not merely endorsers but "leading agitators" who believe they suffered systemic victimization under Ornguga’s tenure.
While acknowledging that the nominee may be innocent, Hembe stressed that the real issue is the legacy of harm allegedly caused to numerous students—what he termed as “avoidable enemies” created through perceived or real injustices.
“Whether guilty or not, it will remain on record that over 300 people feel wronged enough to organize and protest against this man’s nomination. And they will never forget. They will look for their pound of flesh, if not from him, then from his children,” Hembe warned.
Drawing from his own upbringing, Hembe reflected on the role of lecturers as mentors and role models, referencing his late father, also a lecturer, who was strict yet universally respected and loved.
“There is no price tag on a good name,” he wrote.
In his concluding remarks, Hembe advised Dr. Ornguga to publicly apologize for any past misdeeds—intentional or not—and decline the nomination as a gesture of responsibility, not guilt.
“If it was me, I would apologize and decline. Not because I am guilty, but because I love my children enough to spare them the weight of my past actions catching up with them.”
He also pleaded with the public and stakeholders not to politicize his position.
The statement has already begun generating widespread reactions across student and civil society groups, with many calling for further scrutiny into the allegations against the commissioner nominee.
