‘Gov Alia is a hypocrite, he’s looting Benue State coffers, I will expose him’ – Ortom

A fresh war of words has erupted between Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia and his predecessor, Samuel Ortom, following allegations of corruption, mismanagement and poor governance traded by both leaders, IDOMA VOICE reports. 

The latest exchange began on Tuesday when Ortom accused the Alia administration of hypocrisy, looting state resources and failing the people of Benue, while also vowing to expose what he described as the “rot” in the current government.

Speaking during an interactive session with journalists at his residence in Makurdi, Ortom said he could no longer remain silent in the face of what he termed persistent attacks against his administration.

“As from today, I am going to be exposing this government for its hypocrisy, outright looting of state resources, the evils committed against the people of the state and the ceding of our land to foreigners,” the former governor declared.

Ortom’s outburst came in response to the report of a judicial panel of inquiry which accused his administration of failing to account for N139.8 billion during his eight years in office.

He alleged that Governor Alia was carrying out a campaign of persecution against him under the guise of accountability and challenged the governor to a public debate on their respective performances in office.

The former governor also used the occasion to reflect on his political relationship with former Benue governor and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume. He admitted that his 2019 declaration that he had “retired Akume politically” was made out of arrogance and disclosed that he had since reconciled with the APC chieftain.

Reacting, Governor Alia dismissed Ortom’s allegations and accused his predecessor of leaving behind a questionable debt profile and a legacy of poor governance.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, the governor maintained that the probe of the Ortom administration was neither political nor driven by vendetta.

According to him, commissions of inquiry are legitimate instruments of government used to examine the activities of previous administrations and determine areas requiring further investigation.

“Ortom needs to tell Benue people and Nigerians why he felt very comfortable probing his predecessor but is not comfortable being probed himself,” Tersoo stated.

The governor further alleged that his administration was still battling the consequences of decisions taken during Ortom’s tenure, citing multiple garnishee orders running into billions of naira.

“Hardly a day passes without garnishee orders against the state. These are the consequences of shoddy handling of issues and blatant disregard for due process,” he said.

Alia also dismissed Ortom’s criticisms as political propaganda, accusing the former governor of misleading the public throughout his eight-year tenure.

The latest confrontation underscores the deepening political rivalry between the two leaders, who have repeatedly exchanged accusations over governance, financial management and the direction of Benue State since the transition of power in 2023.