Benue: Ortom Challenges Alia, Threatens to Reveal Government 'Looting'

Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on his successor, Hyacinth Alia, branding him a “hypocrite” and declaring his intention to bring to light alleged corruption within the current government. This declaration was made by Ortom during a media engagement held at his expansive home situated in the Judges’ Quarters area, off Gboko Road, Makurdi. His remarks came in response to findings from a probe panel, which had indicted his past administration for failing to account for N139.8 billion over his eight years in office.

Ortom asserted, stating, “As from today, I am going to be exposing this government (Alia administration) for its hypocrisy, outright looting of the state’s resources and evils being committed against the people of the state and the ceding of our land to foreigners.” He further added, “So many lies have been said against me. After three years, I concluded that if I remained silent, it would amount to admission. So, I need to defend myself and let the world know that what Alia is doing is pure persecution.”

The former governor subsequently issued a challenge to Governor Alia, proposing a public debate where both leaders could present their achievements, benchmarked against the financial allocations received by their respective administrations. Ortom also took a moment to reflect on his past political disagreements with his erstwhile mentor, George Akume, advocating for unity and cooperative efforts for the benefit of Benue State and the nation at large.

Recalling a controversial statement made against Akume following his 2019 re-election, where he claimed to have “retired Akume politically,” Ortom publicly expressed regret for the remark on Tuesday. He quoted himself saying, “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.”

Ortom clarified that he has since reconciled with Akume, whom he reveres as his leader, acknowledging Akume’s continued political clout. He stated his commitment to collaborating with Akume through a strategic alliance focused on advancing the “Benue project,” despite their affiliations with different political parties.

He stressed that the prevailing challenges confronting Nigeria demand that leaders transcend partisan divides, placing national and state interests above party loyalties.

In response, Governor Alia, speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, asserted that his predecessor bequeathed a substantial and questionable debt load. Alia’s administration clarified that its actions were not driven by a desire for vendetta against Ortom.

Tersoo quoted Governor Alia as saying, “Handover notes are meant to be studied. When you study them and discover lapses and gaps, you are bound to invite legitimate authorities to help you unravel the grey areas. That is exactly what Governor Alia did. In any case, this is not the first time a commission of inquiry has probed the activities of a previous administration. Ortom constituted one that probed his predecessor, Senator Gabriel Suswam. Ortom needs to tell Benue and Nigerians why he felt very comfortable probing his predecessor but is not comfortable that he should be probed.”

Governor Alia further highlighted the ongoing struggles his government faces due to the issues inherited from Ortom’s tenure. He remarked, “Today, hardly a day passes without garnishee orders being served on the state. We are faced with garnishees running into 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 the ‘years of the locusts’.”

Dismissing Ortom’s fiery statements, Governor Alia characterized the former administration as one heavily reliant 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.

The two political figures have consistently exchanged accusations concerning alleged poor governance and financial mismanagement within Benue State.