The immediate past Governor of Benue, Samuel Ortom, and his successor, Hyacinth Alia, on Tuesday exchanged sharp words over the state of governance in the state, following the release of a probe panel report that indicted the previous administration.
Ortom, who addressed journalists at his residence in Makurdi, rejected the findings of the panel, which reportedly accused his administration of mismanaging N139.8 billion during his eight-year tenure.
The former governor described the allegations as politically motivated and vowed to begin exposing what he termed the failures and contradictions of the current administration.
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“As from today, I am going to be exposing this government for its hypocrisy, outright looting of state resources, evils being committed against the people and the concession of our land to foreigners,” Ortom said.
He argued that he had remained silent for nearly three years despite repeated accusations against him, but had now decided to respond publicly.
“So many lies have been said against me. After three years, I concluded that if I remain silent, it will amount to admission. What Governor Alia is doing is pure persecution,” he added.
Ortom challenged Governor Alia to a public debate where both leaders could compare their achievements and stewardship based on the resources available to their respective administrations.
The former governor also spoke on his relationship with former Benue governor and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.
He expressed regret over comments he made after his re-election in 2019, when he claimed to have politically retired Akume.
According to Ortom, he later realised the statement was made out of arrogance and had since reconciled with the former governor.
“I came to realise that only God determines people’s destinies,” he said, describing Akume as his political leader and stressing the need for unity in advancing the interests of Benue State.
However, the Alia administration swiftly dismissed Ortom’s claims, insisting that the probe was necessary to uncover financial irregularities inherited from the previous government.
In a statement, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, said the exercise was not driven by vendetta but by a desire to establish the facts.
“Handover notes are meant to be studied. When you discover lapses and gaps, you are bound to invite a legitimate authority to help unravel the grey areas. That is exactly what Governor Alia did,” Kula stated.
He pointed out that Ortom himself had established a commission of inquiry to investigate the administration of former Governor Gabriel Suswam.
“Ortom needs to tell Benue people and Nigerians why he felt comfortable probing his predecessor but is not comfortable being probed,” he said.
The Alia administration further accused the former governor of leaving behind huge debts and numerous garnishee orders that continue to affect the state’s finances.
“Today, hardly a day passes without garnishee orders running into billions of naira. These are the consequences of poor handling of issues and disregard for due process,” Kula said.
Governor Alia also dismissed Ortom’s criticism, accusing the former administration of relying heavily on propaganda.
“Throughout the eight years of Ortom’s administration, government was run largely on propaganda, from pretentious sobbing in churches to deceptive public statements,” the governor said.
The latest exchange highlights the deepening political rift between the two leaders as disagreements continue over the management of Benue State’s affairs and the findings of the ongoing probe into the previous administration.
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