Press Release

Makurdi: August 2, 2018.

Governor Samuel Ortom Should Focus on Issues and Stop Distractions in Benue State.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State has called on Governor Samuel Ortom to attend to the main issues contained in the Preliminary report released by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Monday, July 31, 2018. The Governor was linked to an alleged fraud to the tune of over N22bn by the report.

Instead of advancing satisfactory explanations to the Benue people and indeed on how the over N22bn was expended, the Governor has resorted to his usual antics of herdsmen invasion. One would have expected that during the live broadcast to the good people of Benue State on Radio Benue, Joy FM and Harvest FM, on Wednesday, August 1, 2018, the Governor would have explained how his government that preaches accountability and transparency is accused of diverting over N22bn. He rather alleged that over 1,000 herdsmen and 10,000 herds of cattle have already invaded Guma, his local government as confirmed by the Local Government Council Chairman of Guma.

The people of Benue State would like to know from His Excellency how he knows the exact number of herdsmen and herds of cattle that have invaded Guma LGA? Has the Governor taken over from his cousin, Alhaji Aliyu Tershaku, as the Grand Commander of the Livestock Guards in Benue State? We commend the security agencies in Nigeria that since the arrest of Commander Alhaji Aliyu Tershaku, of the Ortom Livestock Guards, killings in Benue State have subsided.

On the allegation by Governor Samuel Ortom that the Leader of the APC in Benue State, Senator George Akume is mobilizing herdsmen to invade Benue State, the party wishes to dismiss this allegation. As sane minds, of what purpose will it serve Distinguished Senator George Akume to mobilize Fulani herdsmen to invade his Constituency and State? Let the security agencies hold Governor Samuel Ortom personally responsible for any invasion of the state under any guise.

We wish to remind the good people of Benue State that Governor Ortom was the first Benue indigene who called for the concession of land in Agatu for grazing by those he called indigenous Fulani herdsmen. The Governor and his counterpart in Nasarawa State Alhaji Tanko Al-Makura had embarked on a peace shuttle to prevail on the natives to readmit the herdsmen after the Agatu Massacre of early February, 2016 in Obagaji, the Agatu local government headquarters.

According to the report of Vanguard Newspaper of February 5, 2017, Governor Ortom particularly lamented what he described as the massive and unprecedented destruction of Agatu and killings by herdsmen but said there was no alternative to peace for development and progress to take place. While restating his stance on ranching as panacea to the crisis, he urged Agatu people to “forgive and allow the indigenous Fulani return because vengeance belongs to God. If you remember, my kinsmen were similarly killed and property including my ancestral home destroyed by herdsmen but the people of Guma have since forgiven the attack and moved on.”

No citizen of Benue State knows indigenous Fulani herdsmen more than the Governor himself and we are sure it is his indigenous Fulani herdsmen that are returning to Guma if at all it is true there is an invasion.

Read more at: https://www.vanguardngr.com/2017/02/agatu-massacres-can-forgive-wont-forget-fulani-herdsmen-killed-6000-kinsmen-locals/.

Governor Ortom has failed to execute any project in the over three (3) years of his administration. Instead he has resorted to cheap blackmail of APC leaders and use of Fulani herdsmen crisis to cover up for his abysmal performance. During the said Radio broadcast, the Governor highlighted some of his achievements to include: renovation of several facilities such as School of Nursing Makurdi, which was built by the administration of Late Apollos Aper Aku which Governor Ortom merely repainted at over N2bn; the College of Health Technology built by the George Akume administration as well as Accreditation of School of Health Sciences of Benue State University, Makurdi built by the same Akume administration.

Most laughable is the claim by the Governor that his administration had executed over 800 water schemes in the State whereas nothing of such is on ground. The people of Makurdi, Gboko, Katsina-Ala and Otukpo which had long standing water schemes are even groaning in search of portable water.

It is quite unfortunate that the Governor claimed to have executed 11 major roads and over 100 rural access roads. These so-called road project only exist in the imagination of the Governor. The only major road contract awarded by Governor Samuel Ortom is the 40.397km Origbo-Imande Akpu-Gbajimba, his home town at a cost of N4.766bn awarded to M/S Tongyi New International Construction Ltd, a company which belongs to Mr. Stephen Amase, his Principal Private Secretary. Even then, the project awarded on March 23, 2016 is yet to be 20% completed despite over 80% payment of the total contract sum.

The case or renovation of over 740 primary schools in Benue State is another story for the gods. The massive fraud in the award of those contracts by SUBEB can only be imagined. Apart from the fact that funding for the projects came from the Federal Government’s Universal Basic Education Board, more than 2/3 of the projects were allocated to the Governor’s cronies. Contractors who bided for the projects have a lot of stories to tell. Most of the contracts have been abandoned by the cronies who have diverted the money for other uses.

The agricultural sector has suffered serious neglect under the Ortom administration. As a state that parades itself as the food basket of the nation, farmers do not get fertilizer and other farm inputs courtesy of the government. No single tractor has been purchased by the Ortom-led administration. Rather the few broken down tractors at the Benue Tractor Hiring Agency (BENTHA) bought by previous administrations have been rehabilitated, refurbished and confiscated by Ortom’s Oracle Farms Ltd. Mr. Governor has made over 12 purported investment trips to China at the state expense but the few Chinese investors have ended up in his Oracle Farms Ltd.

On the aspect of heavy wage bill as claimed by the Governor, the people of Benue State and indeed Nigerians are aware that the Governor has over bloated the wage bill for his pecuniary gains. We call on the EFCC to investigate the bailout funds, Paris Club refunds and other budget support initiatives of the Federal Government. Records available from the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Commission shows that the Benue State Government under Ortom has received well over N300bn and IGR of over N45bn in the ensuing period not including other revenues sources such as grants, bailout funds, Paris refund and budget support. The Governor is owing 7 months of salaries and gratuities/pensions in excess of 14 months, more than any other state in Nigeria.

It is on record that Governor Samuel Ortom has completely killed private sector initiatives in the Benue State. The only viable private investment is the Oracle Conglomerate which is owned by Governor Ortom. Oracle farms produces virtually everything that other entrepreneurs ought to provide. Incidentally, most of the Oracle industries were acquired from the State moribund industries established by his predecessors at no cost to the Governor. In the broadcast, the Governor sited the Soya Oil company owned by one Ndyerkaa Hule in Wannune, Tarka LGA as one of his achievements. This is a personal effort of Mr. Hule, which has been in existence before the Ortom administration. Let Nigerians know that Benue State is the only state whose indigenes have not benefitted from the numerous Small and Medium Scale interventions of the Federal Government because of the Governor’s conflict of interest. The Bank of Industry loan scheme has been hijacked by the Governor and members of his family to the detriment of the Benue populace.

The APC is advising Governor Ortom to leave land mark projects such as Schools and hospitals so that his successors can also renovate or rehabilitate in future. The Governor can still turn around the fortunes of Benue State within the few months left of his administration if he is repentant, focused and avoid waste of state resources in search of his second term ticket.

On the allegation by Governor Samuel Ortom that the Inspector General of Police has withdrawn Police security at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps, let the general public note that since the inception of those camps, it is Ortom’s Vigilante Group and Livestock Guards that have been providing security at those camps and not the Police. This allegation by the Governor is to enable him turn around and kill people at those camps in the name of Fulani herdsmen. By the way, the Federal Government has made adequate arrangements for the return of IDPs to their ancestral homes, why is the case of Benue State different? Where is the money meant for settlement of the IDPs provided by the Federal Government?

The party insist that the Governor should answer the EFCC over allegations of fraud by his administration and stop the diversion of attention. The issue of Fulani herdsmen clashes though condemnable is not peculiar to Benue State but those other states affected such as Plateau, Nasarawa, Zamfara and Sokoto are making tremendous progress.

The APC is calling on Governor Ortom to refrain from making comments that are capable of inciting ethnic and religious violence in Nigeria. We have had enough of bloodshed in the Benue Valley. What the people of Benue State need now is the dividends of democracy which they have been denied by the Ortom administration.

Finally, may we remind Mr. Governor, that on May 31, 2016, he rededicated Benue State and its people to God but God cannot be mocked. According to Proverbs 29:2, When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn (KJV).



Comrade Abba Yaro
APC Party Chairman, Benue State.

tales of confused people!!! look at this one quoting the Bible "when the righteous is in power the people rejoice..." so ortom was righteous when he was in APC? these guys think that all Nigerians are stupid. APC must sink!!!

Kingosytex:
tales of confused people!!! look at this one quoting the Bible "when the righteous is in power the people rejoice..." so ortom was righteous when he was in APC? these guys think that all Nigerians are stupid. APC must sink!!!

I knew you didn't even read through, you just wanted to be noticed.

You mean there is still MIYETTI ALLAH PARTY in Benue

Good thing they have come to terms with the fact that ortom remains their governor, the terrorist party should stop distracting him.