- Warns Banks, Perm Secs, MDAs Over Unplanned Expenditure, Overdraft
By Amos Aar
BENUE State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which emerged victorious in the just concluded governorship election in the state, has asserted that upon assumption of office as governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia will review all last minute anti-people decisions taken by his exiting predecessor, Samuel Ortom.
Addressing journalists last Thursday at a press conference in Makurdi, the state chairman of APC, Comrade Austine Agada, alleged that the outgoing Ortom-led PDP government has embarked on emergency award of contracts worth billions of naira.
Agada particularly pointed out that the outgoing government through the Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Mike Inalegwu, recently disclosed to reporters that the government was planning to build an airport at Kura, along Naka Road, about 12 kilometres from Makurdi and that the airport will be built near the Industrial Layout so that cargoes from the airport could be moved easily.
National Record gathered that Ortom’s farm is located within the said Industrial Layout.
The APC also recalled that on October 29, 2016, Governor Ortom flagged off a 38-billion-naira Cargo Airport in Daudu, Guma LGA, a project he assured would be completed in 18 months. However, according to Agada, there was no visible site of the said cargo airport four years after and consequently, Governor Ortom while presenting the 2020 budget announced the re-awarding of the same cargo airport to another company for 12 billion naira, with extra 3 billion as compensation to land owners “which reportedly didn’t get to the actual owners of the gazetted lands”.
He said: “We wish to state that the decision by the outgoing PDP government in Benue State to build an airport is malevolent, malicious, and ill-timed with reference to the incoming government which was not consulted, informed, or involved in the deliberations for a new state contract as it is rationally expected under a transitional political arrangement”
But Terver Akase, Special Adviser to Governor Samuel Ortom on Media & Publicity, while reacting Friday to the issues raised by the APC chairman debunked that the Benue State Government under Governor Ortom had entered into contract with anyone for the construction of a new cargo airport which he admitted was approved for the state by the Ministry of Aviation.
While APC announced its plans to review what Comrade Agada tagged “anti-people decisions or policies” by Ortom, the party also warned financial institutions, Permanent Secretaries, MDA’s, Ministry of Finance and office of the State Accountant General that were allegedly collaborating with the outgoing government to increase Benue indebtedness through loans, overdrafts or other financial obligations to stop forthwith to avoid being reviewed as financial sabotage.
“We here by urge the good people of Benue State who voted us overwhelmingly in the last elections to remain calm as any last-minute anti-people decision or policy instituted by the Governor Ortom administration capable of inflicting more pains on Benue people after being starved in every area of leadership will be reviewed and decisive actions taken on whoever [is] found culpable,”, Agada barred his mind.
But again, Terver Akase faulted the APC on this, alleging that the party has written to heads of government agencies and some permanent secretaries to stop obeying directives from Governor Ortom whose tenure has not yet ended and still has the constitutional powers to govern the state till May 28, 2023.
“We wish to remind the APC that Governor Ortom remains the duly elected Governor of Benue State and has the constitutional authority to direct government agencies and make approvals while carrying out any other business of government till May 29, 2023. We demand that the party desists from its acts of sabotage and subversion against the present administration”.
Comrade Agada also accused Ortom of backdating contracts and employment letters as well as falsifying financial documents for alleged illicit financial dealings.
“Governor Samuel Ortom who had not employed nor promoted anyone in the last seven years and 10 months with barely two months to exit office has suddenly found his footing in massive employment of staff to the tune of 2,500, at the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and other ministries, an exercise he initiated 3 years ago shifting the financial burden to the incoming government. We view this as a clandestine move to pitch the people against our government even before it starts”, Agada observed.
The APC Chairman expressed concern that members of the party were not included in the transition committee set up by Governor Ortom to hand over power to Fr. Alia on May 29, 2023 as expected. He opined that if they were part of the committee, the APC members would have kicked against the alleged last minute financial recklessness and excesses by the outgoing government.
He said: “It is sad to mention that up to this moment, the outgoing PDP government in Benue State has not deemed it necessary to integrate members of the incoming government into a harmonized transition committee that will agree or disagree over certain critical decisions taken at this last moment by the outgoing PDP government.
“The party wishes to advise all consultants and contractors to refrain from entering into such deals with the outgoing administration.
“This is necessary because the Rev. Fr. Dr Hyacinth Alia’s administration will not be held accountable for any nefarious contractual obligations”.
On this, Akase claimed that the transition committee set up by Governor Ortom will be liaising with the governor-elect to nominate people to serve as members of the committee and urged the APC to “separate political campaigns from the real issues of governance and stop exhibiting ignorance”.
Speaking further on the alleged last-minute appointments, promotions and contracts, Akase drew APC’s attention to the federal level where he said new appointments have been made and contracts awarded recently in March, 2023.
“At the federal level, President Muhammadu Buhari approved the appointment of six new permanent secretaries on March 29, 2023. Similarly, the Federal Executive Council on Thursday, March 30th, 2023 approved N95.8 billion for a road linking Ekiti and Ondo states. This is besides the approval of N2.24 billion for the construction of a 150-room capacity female hostel at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State”, Akase recalled.
