The Benue State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has alleged that the outgoing administration of Governor Samuel Ortom has embarked on emergency awards of contracts worth billions of naira wondering how it intends to execute same with barely 2 months before exiting the office.
In a swift reaction, the media adviser to the State Governor Terver Akase insists that Governor Ortom remains the duly elected Governor of the State and has the constitutional authority to direct government agencies and make approvals while carrying out any other business of government till May 28, 2023.
The APC state chairman Austine Agada raised the alarm that the Benue State Government through the Commissioner of Information, Culture, and Tourism, Mike Inalegwu, disclosed government plans to build an Airport at Kura, along Naka road, about 12 kilometers from Makurdi town.
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He queried why Governor Ortom had to wait until less than two months before the end of his administration to award such contracts.
Agada recalled that on the 29th October 2016, Governor Samuel Ortom led the PDP administration to flag off 38 billion Naira Cargo Airport in Daudu, Guma Local Government, a project he assured will be completed in 18 months, with no visible site of the Airport after 4 years.
Agada went further to state that Governor Ortom while presenting the 2020 budget announced the reward of the same Cargo Airport to another company for 12 billion, with an extra 3 billion as compensation to land owners which reportedly didn’t get to the actual owners of the gazetted lands.
He further argued that the 38 billion naira contract and its 12 billion Naira reward all squashed with the flagging of a Mega City for Internally Displaced Persons which has also gone moribund.
“How do we trust a government that has buried a chunk of taxpayers’ money into an unrealistic Cargo Airport for almost 8 years despite promising its completion in 18 months
Agada stated further ” One would imagine a financially reckless Governor like Samuel Ortom who has not employed nor promoted anyone in the last 7 years and 10 months with barely 2 months to exit office has suddenly found his footing in massive employment of staff to the tune of 2500, at the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and other ministries, an exercise he initiated 3 years ago, thereby 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.”The statement queried.
The APC chairman also argued that it is customary that the incoming government occupy spots in the transition committee so as to receive last-minute briefings of financial transactions to ensure a smooth transition process
Unfortunately, the Ortom administration is creating more hurdles for the incoming government by increasing the cost of governance with permanent and nonpermanent appointments and awarding contracts with enormous financial obligations.
“We hereby warn Financial Institutions, Permanent Secretaries, MDAs, the Ministry of Finance, and the Office of the Accountant General that are collaborating with the outgoing government to increase Benue indebtedness through loans, overdrafts, or other financial obligations to stop forthwith, as this will be viewed as financial sabotage to the incoming administration.”The statement concluded.
However, a statement by the media adviser to State Governor Terver Akase accused the APC of seeking to illegally end the tenure of Governor Samuel Ortom before 29th May 2023.
He observed that in the last week, APC had written to heads of government agencies and some permanent secretaries to stop obeying directives from the Governor.
Akase maintained the APC Chairman in the state, Austin Agada addressed the media and made spurious allegations against Governor Ortom, particularly as it relates to financial transactions and governance.
He further stated that Agada also illegally asked heads of state government agencies to henceforth stop complying with the Governor’s directives and approvals.
Akase wondered where on earth such rascality is obtainable.
He said it is absurd and disturbing that the Benue State leadership of APC has waged a war of attrition on a legitimate government whose tenure is yet to end.
The Governor’s media Adviser also accused them of being in a hurry to resort to arm-twisting tactics using falsehood as a tool to disparage and blackmail the current administration.
Akase demanded that the party desists from its acts of sabotage and subversion against the present administration.
He equally stated that the Benue State Government under Governor Ortom has not entered into a contract with anyone for the construction of the civil airport approved for the State by the Ministry of Aviation, contrary to the speculation by the APC Chairman and his team.
Akase insisted it was also a figment of the imagination of the Benue APC Chairman and his co-travelers to have claimed that the state government was involved in some unspecified contractual engagements of various sums which they curiously could not substantiate.
The Governor’s spokesperson noted that as a functional and responsive government, the Ortom administration reserves the right to employ and appoint qualified Benue indigenes into positions where vacancies exist; and that’s precisely what this administration has done with the employment of Benue sons and daughters through the Teaching Service Board (TSB) and the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB).
He stated that the Governor has already set up a transition committee and will be liaising with the Governor-elect to nominate people to serve as members of the committee.
“The APC ought to separate political campaigns from the real issues of governance and stop exhibiting ignorance”.
“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.”The statement read in part
He, therefore, urged the Benue APC to desist forthwith from making inciting and provocative statements while issuing threats to officials of government as if they are already in power.
(Editor: Anoyoyo Ogiagboviogie)
