ENUGU, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)- Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has launched a fresh attack on his successor, Hyacinth Alia, describing him as a hypocrite and vowing to expose what he termed widespread mismanagement, looting, and other alleged wrongdoings in the current administration.
Speaking during an interactive session with journalists at his residence in the Judges Quarters area of Makurdi on Tuesday, Ortom said he would no longer remain silent in the face of allegations made against his administration.
His comments were in response to the findings of a state probe panel, which accused his government of failing to account for N139.8 billion during his eight years in office.
According to Ortom, “As from today, I am going to be exposing this government (Alia administration) for its hypocrisy, outright looting of the state resources and evils committed against the people of the state and the ceding of our land to foreigners.
“So many lies have been said against me. After three years, I concluded that if I remain silent it will amount to admittance, so I need to defend myself and let the world know that what Alia is doing is pure persecution.”
The former governor challenged Alia to a public debate where both leaders could present their achievements and explain how resources available to their respective administrations were utilised.
Ortom also reflected on his past political disagreements with former Benue governor and current political leader, George Akume, stressing the need for unity and cooperation for the development of Benue State and Nigeria.
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Recalling a statement he made after winning re-election in 2019 that he had “retired Akume politically,” Ortom admitted that he regretted the remark.
“During my prayers afterwards, I came to realise that the remark was made out of arrogance because I later acknowledged the fact that only God determines people’s destinies,” he said.
He revealed that he had since reconciled with Akume, whom he described as his political leader, adding that despite belonging to different political parties, both men were now working together through what he called a strategic partnership aimed at advancing the “Benue project.”
Ortom argued that Nigeria’s challenges require leaders to place national and state interests above partisan considerations.
Responding to the former governor’s allegations, Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, dismissed claims that the administration was pursuing a vendetta against Ortom.
The governor maintained that the previous administration left behind a questionable debt burden and that investigating its activities was a legitimate exercise.
“Handover notes are meant to be studied. When you study them and discover lapses and gaps, you are bound to invite a legitimate authority to help you unravel the grey areas,” Alia said.
He noted that commissions of inquiry into previous administrations were not unusual, pointing out that Ortom himself established a panel to investigate the administration of former governor Gabriel Suswam.
“Ortom needs to tell Benue and Nigerians why he felt very comfortable probing his predecessor but he is not comfortable that he should be probed,” he added.
Alia further alleged that his government continues to grapple with the consequences of decisions taken under Ortom’s administration.
“Today, hardly a day passes without garnishee orders raining in the state. We are faced with garnishees in billions. These are as a result of shoddy handling of issues and blatant disregard for procedure, which was the hallmark of that infamous administration Benue people termed ‘years of the locusts’,” the governor said.
The governor also accused the previous administration of relying heavily on propaganda.
“From pretentious sobbing in churches to perpetual deceptive statements. When a governor tells the worst tales that he was running and dodging bullets from assailants who pursued him for over 1km, what else do you want him to confirm as a fabricator of all time,” Alia stated.