Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Chris Johnson
Published on 2024-04-02 15:16:28
Former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has responded to his successor, Hyacinth Alia’s recent interview in which he made allegations about the state’s finances, urging Alia to provide evidence to support his claims regarding incomes, the wage bill, and debts.
Ortom, through his media aide Terver Akase, expressed his disbelief in Alia’s statements, calling them false and misleading. He questioned the lack of substantiation with figures and accused Alia of engaging in embellishments and fabrications to tarnish his predecessor’s reputation.
In the interview, Alia was quoted as saying that the previous government left arrears of salaries amounting to hundreds of billions of naira, as well as inheriting more ghost schools than functional ones. Ortom’s team refuted these claims, pointing out that during his administration, wages were paid consistently despite economic challenges, and the debt situation was actively managed to reduce the burden on the state.
Ortom’s administration’s efforts in negotiating debt reduction with the federal government were highlighted, showing a proactive approach to addressing the state’s financial liabilities. The statement also challenged Alia to provide proof of the debts incurred by the state since he assumed office, as well as the specific figures related to arrears of salaries, ghost schools, and savings from eliminating ghost workers.
Additionally, the statement emphasized the Ortom administration’s achievements in infrastructure development, including road construction, school projects, health facilities, rural electrification, water projects, and the establishment of a state-of-the-art Geographic Information Service center for land digitization. These accomplishments were cited as evidence of Ortom’s commitment to the development of Benue State.
Alia’s characterization of Benue State as a “glorified village” was dismissed by Ortom’s team, who asserted that the state had made significant progress under Ortom’s leadership and was handed over as a fully functioning entity, not a village.
Overall, Ortom’s response focused on challenging Alia’s claims, highlighting the achievements of his administration, and calling for transparency and accountability in the current government’s handling of the state’s finances. The statement sought to set the record straight and defend Ortom’s legacy against what they viewed as unjustified attacks from his successor.
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