Ortom Challenges Alia To Public Debate Over Allegations Of Financial Impropriety
Immediate past Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom, has challenged Governor Hyacinth Alia to a public debate over allegations levelled against his administration, insisting he is prepared to defend his record with facts and documents.
The former governor said his successor has come into office with a mindset to discredit his administration, and vowed to leave no stone unturned in exposing what he described as the shortcomings of the present government.
Speaking during an interaction with journalists of national media organisations at his Makurdi residence, Ortom accused Alia of repeatedly using his administration as a scapegoat for the state’s current challenges, while failing to account for what he described as significantly increased federal allocations received by the present government over the past three years.
He dismissed claims that his administration left behind debts of over N300 billion, describing the allegation as “a lie from the pit of hell”, and insisted that all financial transactions during his tenure were properly documented and followed due process.
Ortom said he was ready to present records of revenues, expenditures, inherited liabilities and contractual obligations in a face-to-face debate with the governor, urging Alia to “bring evidence to substantiate his accusations.”
He further alleged that the current administration had borrowed substantial funds despite receiving higher revenues than previous governments, questioning how such resources had been utilized and calling for greater transparency in public finance management.
He also rejected suggestions linking him to a major ethanol processing plant in the state, insisting he neither owns shares in the company nor controls its operations, and describing the claims as part of a sustained campaign of blackmail against him.
Ortom defended his eight-year tenure, citing infrastructure projects, healthcare investments, agricultural interventions and security measures, and said his administration promoted local government autonomy while maintaining regular stakeholder consultations.
He vowed to continue speaking out on issues affecting the state, warning that he would expose what he termed misconduct within the present administration, while reiterating his call for a public debate to allow citizens assess competing claims.
Reacting, Governor Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, told Ortom to “shut up and speak the truth for once.”
Kula said: “Talking about N1.3 trillion, someone should tell Ortom to shut up. He has no idea of economic comparative analysis. How much was a litre of fuel when he was governor and how much is it now? How much was a bag of cement and how much is it now? How much was a kilometre of road and how much was it then? How much was the dollar exchanging for the naira and how much is it now?”
He added that the state is currently facing multiple garnishee orders running into billions, which he attributed to what he described as poor handling of financial matters by the previous administration.
