From Msurshima Andrew, Makurdi
The All Progressive Congress, (APC) in Benue State has lampooned the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, over his recent attacks on the Minister for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume, describing the attacks as a mere plot to tarnish Akume and spoil his chances of emerging as chairman of the APC.
Addressing a press conference in Makurdi, on Wednesday, the APC Chairman-elect, Austin Agada, on behalf of Benue APC Exco- Elect, said it has become expedient that they lend their voice on the current state of affairs in Benue, especially as it concerns activities of the Ortom led administration and the governor’s unguarded utterances that are bringing our state to public ridicule.
Mr. Agada also accused Ortom of writing spurious corruption petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), against Akume to cover up his failure to provide developmental leadership for the state.
He stated that “these attacks on our leader have been brewed consistently over time and intermittently unleashed on him with great mischief. But while we may have tolerated this bashing for so long, the governor has again embarked on a dangerous campaign of calumny, trying so desperately to run down the towering profile of Senator Akume, who is one of the very few Nigerian past governors without criminal records.
The APC insisted that the target of the Governor’s “campaign of calumny, we ultimately know, is to lower Senator Dr George Akume who is highly celebrated by many Nigerians in the eyes of the public thereby, weakening his chances of emerging as the National Chairman of the APC, now that majority of APC members across all states of the federation are clamouring for his emergence to the position.”
He stated that the fraud allegation currently leveled against Senator Akume by Governor Ortom and his Government is clearly an act of political witch-hunt, recalling that same government had leveled N107 billion allegation against the Gabriel Suswams administration but later nullified same.
Agada who said Orrom’s administration has a history of raising unfounded claims and excuses each time money comes into the state alleged that since the day it was confirmed that the federal government has made available another tranche of over N18 Billion bailout to Benue State, “Governor Ortom has become strangely more loquacious and hostile, not just to his benefactor, Senator Akume but also to the Benue civil servants and pensioners that he has refused to pay their salaries and pensions.
“We call on the Governor to face squarely, the herculean task of governance before him in the exiting phase of his administration and avoid the careless affront on President Muhammadu Buhari, Senator Dr George Akume and the suffering population of Benue state.”
Responding swiftly, the People Democratic Party, (PDP) in the state simply urged Sen. Akume to answer to cases of financial crimes unearthed by audit about his stewardship as governor
The PDP in a statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, said “it is the position of Benue PDP that Akume should do the honourable needful by availing himself to answer to those cases of financial crimes so unearthed against him by the audit rather than resorting to sponsoring press conferences by a neophyte whose status is still unclear even within his party, the APC.
“Crying wolf about the audit report being a witch-hunt is totally immaterial as the due process of law requires him to prove his innocence before a competent authority when called upon to do so.
The PDP said it does not make sense to link recent utterances by Governor Ortom about the state of things in the state to the bailout loan he is about to receive from federal coffers querying “Should the fact that the governor is about to receive a bailout loan for his administration gag him from speaking out on issues?
The party said backlog of salaries and pensions arrears lately has its roots and is traceable to the time of the Governorship tenure of his leader, George Akume, from 1999 to 2007, during which time salaries and pensions were owed workers for no justifiable reason.
“The Akume era as governor witnessed numerous external intervention funding to the state for purposes of ecological, educational as well as social amenities development, yet there was scarcely any projects executed commensurate to those fundings, which were rather channeled to oiling a loose, irresponsible and extravagant lifestyle in official circles.
“It is the consequences of such a wasteful era that the Suswam administration battled with and passed on to the Ortom administration which today in the midst of hugely depleted revenue inflow coupled with debilitating security challenges, is still managing to pay salaries on a regular monthly basis, since mid-2018.”
The PDP insisted that Akume should answer to the allegations saying “The fact that Akume is nursing ambition to run for any office anywhere in the world does not confer on him immunity from accounting for his stewardship at previous offices he held or the one he is presently occupying.”
