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By George Kajo, Makurdi
The Benue State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says it received with renewed hope, the invitation of the immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for alleged charges bordering on financial misappropriation and abuse of public trust.
The former governor who honoured invitation of EFCC in Makurdi Zonal office was released at about 7:00pm on Tuesday.
“Officials of the previous administration including the immediate past chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Joseph Utse have been previously arrested in connection with abuse of office and misappropriation of public funds”.
In a statement in Makurdi, the State Publicity Secretary, Dan Morgan Ihyomun, said Benue sees the move by the EFCC as a necessary step towards making the former governor and his cronies account for What they did with the over 700 billion income accrued to the state in the last eight years of their leadership when salaries and pensions were not paid with no infrastructure built for the state
“APC urges the EFCC and other anti graft agencies to carryout their investigations without fear of blackmail and intimidation from any quarters. The party wondered why the PDP in Benue State instead of apologizing to the people of the state for the waste, the eight years of the Ortom led administration foisted on the state, leaving behind a debt profile of about 180 billion”.
According to the party, instead, the PDP shamelessly resorted to praise singing and worshipping and insulting the sensibilities of the people.
“The PDP should rather cover its face in shame that members of their party who were given the state in trust are being held to account for their eight years of alleged misrule, misappropriation and looting of the Benue Peoples Commonwealth”.
APC therefore, urged the PDP to rather apologize to the Benue people for its failures where poverty, hunger, lack and death reigned supreme in the land.
In a reaction, the PDP praised former governor Samuel Ortom for voluntarily making himself to EFCC’s invitation to clarify issues of his administration when he served as governor of Benue State from 2015 to May, 29th this year.
The PDP’s State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, in statement, noted that the former governor was not arrested, but visited the anti graft body.
Former Governor Samuel Ortom was said to have arrived the EFCC zonal headquarters in Makurdi on Tuesday morning and left after a closed door meeting with the EFCC operatives at the late hours of the day.