Former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has informed his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia, to cease utilizing him as a scapegoat for the persistent insecurity and humanitarian disaster within the state, saying that obsession together with his title is not going to finish the killings.
In an announcement issued on his behalf by his former Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, on Sunday, Ortom expressed disappointment that the Alia-led administration continues to deflect from its obligations by blaming previous management.
Ortom reacting to Governor Alia’s latest feedback that beneath Ortom’s tenure, Benue recorded over 4 million internally displaced individuals, a declare the previous governor says is each false and diversionary.
Governor Alia, in an announcement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, had stated: “Beneath Ortom’s watch, Benue State recorded the very best variety of IDPs in its historical past, with over 4 million individuals displaced from their ancestral properties. This determine underscores the failure of reactive rhetoric with out strategic assist for safety structure.”
Responding, Akase challenged the figures and questioned the governor’s priorities.
“At no time did Chief Ortom declare there have been 4 million IDPs. The administration labored with respected humanitarian businesses to generate correct, verifiable information. The 1.5 million determine was formally documented and is identical determine Governor Alia inherited, accepted, and offered to companions,” he acknowledged.
Akase additional accused the Alia administration of constantly turning each problem into an assault on Ortom.
“From the day he assumed workplace, Governor Alia and his aides have made it their mission to pull Ortom’s title into each matter, whether or not related or not. This obsession gained’t resolve the disaster within the state,” Akase stated.
He criticized the federal government’s dealing with of the latest protest by IDPs on the Makurdi Worldwide Market camp, the place displaced individuals stated they felt deserted.
“Whereas IDPs have been protesting starvation and neglect, the Government Secretary of SEMA was seen attending a lavish marriage ceremony in the UK. We anticipated a press launch that will tackle that shameful insensitivity. As a substitute, what we received was one more assault on Ortom,” he famous.
Akase suggested the governor to implement the safety roadmap really useful by President Bola Tinubu throughout his latest go to to the state, including that the time for excuses had handed.
“Mr. President gave sensible steps to deal with insecurity in Benue. Relatively than act, Governor Alia retains spinning excuses — in the future blaming international mercenaries, the following day it’s ‘Abuja politicians,’ and now even non secular leaders,” he stated.
