Benue PDP, APC Trade Words Over Contract Awards, Jobs By Ortom

Governor Samuel Ortom of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the governor -elect under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Revd Fr. Hyacinth Iornem Alia are at war of words over issues of governance with the governor-elect accusing the PDP-led administration of increasing the cost of governance for the incoming administration.

While the APC through its state chairman Comrade Austin Agada alleged that the incumbent governor in the last lap of his administration is awarding contracts and backdating same, the PDP through the publicity secretary Bemgba Iortyom accused the APC and its governor- elect of being driven by impunity to seek illegal end to Ortom’s tenure.

The APC chairman who made several allegations against Governor Ortom also alleged that the Ortom administration has engaged in massive illicit financial dealings, which include alleged falsification of financial documents, massive employment of staff to the tune of 2,500 aimed at shifting the burden to the incoming government.

According to Agada, how can a governor who did not employ or promote anyone in almost eight years of his administration and less than two months to his exit from office suddenly turn around to engage in massive employment of over 2,000 people just to create hurdles for the incoming government.

Agada said, “We wish to state that the above decision by the outgoing PDP government to build an airport in less than two months when he cannot build the earlier proposed cargo airport in almost eight years 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.

“Therefore, 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 Revd. Fr. Alia’s administration will not be held accountable for any nefarious contractual obligations.

“We want to also warn Financial Institutions, Permanent Secretaries, MDAs, Ministry of Finance, Office of the Accountant General and Local Government DGSAs 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.”

In the same vein, the publicity secretary of the PDP said, the party wants to bring to public attention plots by the APC governor- elect to subvert and truncate the legitimate mandate of the administration of Governor Ortom before its due exit date of May 29th, 2023.

According to him, “The plots by Revd. Fr. Alia and APC have been revealed to include secret meetings with selected civil servants some of whom they are reported to have threatened and some they have directed to scuttle the smooth running of the Ortom administration by ignoring directives from the governor.

“As Governor, Ortom is empowered by law to make appointments, approve promotions, engage in contractual obligations and ensure that his administration discharges its lawful duty such as the recent employment of qualified persons into the Teaching Service Board (TSB) and State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), and this is a duty the governor may perform without let or hindrance from any quarters whatsoever by whomsoever.

“On the allegations by APC that Governor Ortom has embarked on the construction of an airport and that the state government is involved in some unspecified contractual engagements of various sums which the party could not substantiate, we advise the opposition party to rather apply its energies and resources to planning for the task of statecraft ahead of them, if the opportunity does come to them.

“But if Alia and APC insist on chasing the empty winds of their allegations against Governor Ortom, then they may well reckon with the fact that at the federal level, the presidency only a few days ago approved the appointment of six new permanent secretaries on March 29, 2023 into the federal civil service.

“Similarly, Iortyom said the Federal Executive Council under President Buhari last Thursday approved the sum of N95.8 billion for a road linking Ekiti and Ondo, this 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.”