The immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, is reported to currently be in Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) custody in the Makurdi office following an invitation by the anti-corruption agency.
Ortom arrived at the Makurdi zonal office of the commission, located at Alor Gordon Street, at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 20, 2023.
According to Punch, Ortom, who was a member of the G5 Governors of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was invited to be questioned concerning an ongoing investigation into alleged financial misappropriation during his tenure as an official.
A source said, “Former governor Ortom is currently at our Makurdi zonal office in Benue State. He arrived at about 10 a.m. this morning, and he’s still there now. He was invited over an ongoing investigation concerning alleged misappropriation of funds during his time in office.’’
He is reported to still be in the EFCC office as of the time of this report.
What you should know
- Recall that earlier in June, the newly sworn-in Benue State Governor, Rev. Father Hyacinth Alia, had lamented what he called the alleged massive looting of the government house in Makurdi by the immediate past administration led by Chief Samuel Ortom, saying he met no single official car of a truck to operate with as they were all carted away.
- The Governor also disclosed that he inherited an empty treasury and a whooping huge debt profile of N187.56 billion accompanied by accumulated months of unpaid salaries and entitlements of civil servants and pensioners in the state.
- He regretted that Ortom left the government owing salaries of civil servants for six months (from December 2022 to May 2023) and five months arrears for state government workers in 2017 as well as 10 months for local government workers in the same year, 2017 and same to pensions whom he said were last paid in 2021.
- Ortom had before leaving office promised to remain in the country for at least 5 months to answer any questions that might flow from his 8 years of being on the saddle as he had nothing to fear.
- He also promised to present himself before anti-graft agencies if invited for questioning on any issue whatsoever.
- He had also enjoined his then appointees to make themselves available for questioning if invited.
- He said, “Anytime you are invited by the EFCC, don’t be afraid to go, as for me I am not a coward to run away from EFCC, if they come for me I will follow them.
- “I have nothing to fear, I don’t have any investment in Europe all I have are in this state. If anyone accuses me of committing any crime let the person come and show me.”
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