Asset Recovery: Benue Gov Denies Witch-hunting Ortom

George Okoh in Makurdi

The Benue State Government has said that not  witch-hunting, embarrassing, humiliating or oppressing any citizen and law abiding resident of the state.

The government made the clarification following insinuations  by opposition elements in the state that the Governor Hyacinth Alia-led administration was set to  humiliate his predecessor, Samuel Ortom by all means.

The government position became necessary due to the misconceptions by the spokesperson of Ortom, Terver Akase and the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bemgba Iortyom that the Assets Recovery Committee invaded and carted away vehicles belonging to the former governor at a repair workshop in Makurdi on Tuesday.

Reacting to the allegations,  the Chief Press Secretary, to Governor Alia, Tersoo Kula, said both the former governor’s aid and the PDP Publicity Secretary were only out to dish out blatant lies when in their inner conscience were aware that their master was allegedly guilty of looting Benue assets.

 Kula pointed out that the conflicting statements by Akase and Bemgba that the business premises where the said vehicles were evacuated belong to London Line Nig. Ltd and in another breath, credited the premises to Oracle Business Centre gave them out as being insincere in their broad daylight tale.

The governor’s spokesperson further stated that the government, which places premium on the value of law, will never contemplate to employ thugs to enforce the evacuation of looted Benue assets as alleged by the opposition mouth piece.

He emphasised that the Recovery Committee had not operated outside its guidelines and charged private individuals whose vehicles were also carted away as alleged by Akase and Bemgba to show up and make claims.

On the issue of policy misplacement, the CPS said the Alia administration is right on track as it has never failed in the payment of monthly staff salaries since it came on board and efforts are in top gear to return the internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes.

He stressed  that instead of pre-empting ongoing financial fraud perpetrated by the past administration at the court, the opposition should be reasonable enough to engage their energies to useful ventures than unnecessary crying wolf where there is none.