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APC undermining Ortom’s administration ahead of handover — Benue govt

THE Benue state government has chided the All Progressives Congress (APC) for allegedly attempting to undermine the authority of the incumbent governor  Samuel Ortom before the May 29, 2023 handover date.

The government accused the APC of making “spurious” allegations relating to financial transactions and governance against Ortom.

The ICIR had reported how the governor-elect and candidate of the APC, Hyacinth Alia, warned the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC) Limited against financial transactions with the incumbent governor.

In a statement the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Terver Akase, issued, he accused the APC of asking government agencies and some permanent secretaries to stop obeying Ortom’s directives.

Akase said this was in addition to the “false, inciting and misleading press statements” issued by the party against the present administration.

“It is absurd and disturbing that the Benue State leadership of APC has waged a war of attrition on a legitimate government whose tenure is yet to end. They are in a hurry and have resorted to arm-twisting tactics using falsehood to disparage and blackmail the current administration.

“We wish to remind the APC that Governor Ortom remains the duly elected Governor of Benue State and has the constitutional authority to direct government agencies and make approvals while carrying out any other business of government till May 28, 2023,” he said.



Akase urged the party to desist from trying to sabotage the present administration.

He also debunked the “speculation” of the APC about the construction of the civil airport approved for the state by the Ministry of Aviation, saying the state government had not signed a contract with anyone.




     

     

    “It was also a figment of the imagination of the Benue APC Chairman and his co-travellers when they claimed that the state government was involved in some unspecified contractual engagements of various sums, which they curiously could not substantiate.

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    “As a functional and responsive government, the Ortom administration reserves the right to employ and appoint qualified Benue indigenes into positions where vacancies exist; and that’s precisely what this administration has done with the employment of Benue sons and daughters through the Teaching Service Board (TSB) and the State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB),” he added.

    Akase said Ortom had set up a transition committee, and would work with the governor-elect to nominate people to serve as committee members.

    “The APC ought to separate political campaigns from the real issues of governance and stop exhibiting ignorance,” Akase urged.

    Beloved John is an investigative reporter with International Centre for Investigative Reporting.

    You can reach her via: Bjohn@icirnigeria.org

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