THE Benue State governor-elect, Hyacinth Alia, has warned the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC) Limited against financial transactions with the incumbent governor, Samuel Ortom.
In a letter notifying the BIPC’s management of his emergence as governor-elect, the Catholic priest turned governor said the company “should not take/collect, be it loan, overdraft, bond or whatever form form of loan”, which may exceed May 29, 2023, the day Ortom will officially hand over to him.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) accused Alia and the All Progressives Congress (APC) of “truncating” the administration of Ortom before the due date for handover.
The state PDP Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, in a press statement on Saturday, April 1, described Alia’s letter to BIPC as “most shocking and an extreme form of impunity and immaturity.”
Iortyom noted that Ortom reserved “the right to engage in contractual obligations and that his administration discharges its lawful duty.”
Parts of the statement read, “Perhaps, Alia and APC need reminding that Governor Ortom remains the Governor of Benue State till May 29th, 2023 and there cannot within this period be two governors of the state.
“Similarly, the Federal Executive Council under President Buhari on Thursday, March 30th, 2023 approved the sum of N95.8 billion for a road linking Ekiti and Ondo. This is besides the approval of 2.24 billion for the construction of 150-room capacity female hostel at the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State.”
PDP advised Alia and the APC to nominate persons to serve on the transition committee set up by Ortom.
“By so doing, they will be engaging themselves meaningfully on the task they seek to be mandated to discharge come May 29th, 2023,” Iortyom said.
Sinafi Omanga is a journalist with The ICIR. His Twitter handle is @OmangaSinafi and Email: somanga@icirnigeria.org
