Former Benue Governor, Samuel Ortom, has dismissed the findings of a commission of inquiry that indicted his administration over an alleged N139.8 billion unaccounted for during his eight-year tenure, describing the exercise as a politically motivated witch-hunt orchestrated by his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia.
Ortom, who governed Benue State from 2015 to 2023, made his position known in a statement issued on Saturday by his media aide, Terver Akase, in response to the report submitted by the Judicial Commission of Inquiry set up by the Alia administration.
The commission, chaired by retired Justice Jubril Idrisu, submitted its report to the state government on Friday, alleging financial irregularities in the management of public funds under the previous administration.
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According to the report, Benue State generated more than N826.5 billion in revenue between May 29, 2015, and May 28, 2023, while total expenditure during the period stood at approximately N683.4 billion.
The commission said its findings revealed an unaccounted balance of about N139.8 billion and recommended that the state government recover the funds from individuals identified as responsible.
Justice Idrisu stated that the investigation uncovered several questionable financial transactions, including loan arrangements involving financial institutions and local government councils, as well as repayments that allegedly exceeded the original loan amounts without adequate documentation.
The commission also reported irregular transfers of public funds to certain financial institutions, noting that some transactions lacked sufficient records to establish their legitimacy.
Governor Alia had in 2024 established two separate panels to investigate the administration of his predecessor. One panel was tasked with examining the state’s income and expenditure between 2015 and 2023, while the other focused on the sale and lease of government assets, markets, and state-owned enterprises during the same period.
However, reacting to the report, Ortom insisted that the entire exercise lacked legal validity because the constitution of the investigative panels had already been challenged in court.
“Let it be stated clearly that what the people of Benue witnessed today was not an exercise in accountability. It was the culmination of a carefully scripted political witch-hunt designed from the outset to indict the government of Chief Samuel Ortom at all costs,” he said.
The former governor alleged that after the original panels became the subject of legal challenges, the state government dissolved them and constituted another commission under a different name in a bid to continue the investigation.
“The public may recall that the Alia administration initially constituted two probe panels to investigate the immediate past administration. Those panels became the subject of legal challenge, and notices were duly served on the government.
“Rather than allow the courts to determine the issues raised, the administration dissolved the original panels and constituted a new one under a different name,” Ortom stated.
He further argued that the commission, whose report was submitted on Friday, had also been served with notices regarding ongoing legal proceedings challenging its legitimacy.
According to Ortom, there is a pending case before the Court of Appeal concerning the constitutionality of the investigative process, with hearing scheduled for June 29, 2026.
He also disclosed that the Benue State Government had approached the Supreme Court to challenge a previous Court of Appeal ruling that nullified the constitution of the original probe panels.
The former governor accused the Alia administration of disregarding ongoing judicial proceedings and engaging in what he described as executive recklessness.
“This action amounts to executive rascality of the highest order,” he said.
The latest dispute adds to growing political tensions between the current and former administrations in Benue State over accountability, governance and the management of public resources.
Ironically, observers have noted that upon assuming office in 2015, Ortom himself established investigative panels to probe the administration of his predecessor, former Governor Gabriel Suswam.
The committees included a commission of inquiry into funds that accrued to the state between 2007 and 2015, chaired by Justice Elizabeth Kpojime, as well as another panel led by Barrister Moses Atagher to investigate the sale and lease of government properties and assets.
With legal battles still pending before the appellate courts, the controversy surrounding the commission’s findings is expected to remain a major political issue in Benue State in the coming months.
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