You did everything to frustrate me, Ortom fires back at Gov Alia

By Musa Baba Adamu

The immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has accused his successor, Hyacinth Alia, of doing everything to frustrate him a few days before his handing over.

Ortom was reacting to Alia’s several allegations of mismanagement against him.

He charged his successor to focus on governing the people of the state rather than looking for a scapegoat.

In a statement by his spokesman, Terver Akase, Ortom said: “In his latest outing, the Governor has accused his predecessor of carrying out recruitment into the civil service without due process, handing him an empty treasury, and looting government vehicles, among several other unfounded accusations.

“The present governor did everything to frustrate his predecessor, to the point of writing to banks not to honour any transaction by the outgoing government. Even at that, the

Ortom administration still funded the May 29 inauguration.

“While we won’t go into a war of words with the Governor despite the media trial, it is pertinent to clarify that the Ortom administration followed due process in recruiting the workers whom the present government sacked a few days ago.

“Vacancies were duly advertised in national newspapers, and those who applied for the jobs were properly interviewed/screened and the successful ones were given appointment letters as required by civil service rules. Promotions were also carried out according to the laid down service regulations.

“We expected the Alia administration to specifically point out the areas where it claimed that due process was not followed in the recruitments, instead of making sweeping statements and spurious generalisations.

“On the issue of vehicles, the present administration may wish to be informed that it was the decision of the Benue

State Executive Council that government officials, including the Governor and his Deputy, be given waivers to enable them to go with the official vehicles allocated to them. Governor Ortom, therefore, did nothing unlawful by leaving office with the official vehicles allocated to him.”

By Christiana Ekpa

Members of the House of Representatives have disclosed that the real reason why President Bola Ahmed Tinubu invited all the aspirants for the positions of the 10th National Assembly was revealed during the Thursday meeting of the Joint session on Thursday, even as they stressed that the President “did not voice his support” for a particular candidate or asked any lawmaker to step down for the other.

The lawmakers who spoke after the meeting, disclosed that the real reason Mr President invited all of them, including aspirants, is to urge them to work for the unity of the country.

They stressed that the President “did not voice his support for a particular candidate or asked any lawmaker to step down for the other.

The lawmakers noted that Tinubu spoke with a joint session of the National Assembly, comprising senators and members of the House of Representatives across all parties, at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja.

There had been some misleading report in some of the media that Mr President Wednesday night, “made a strong appeal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators-elect and Memberselect to abide by the zoning arrangement as announced by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party in electing presiding officers of the Senate and House of Representatives”.

But denying the report, the lawmakers said the President on Thursday restated what he discussed with aspirants in a closed door meeting by tasking the lawmakers to put the nation first and downplay party politics in the discharge of their duties.

The meeting is one of several engagements between the President and lawmakers, even as the 10th NASS would be inaugurated on June 13.

The member representing Ningi/Warji Federal

Constituency in Bauchi State, Adamu Ranga, said the President did not voice support for any of the candidates vying for the Senate or Speaker, adding that he called for a united front.

According to him, “the lawmakers were told to work together to choose “good leaders”, in the 10th National Assembly.

Ranga said, “Mr President spoke to the general assembly, both the Senate and the House of Representatives, in order to ensure that we have a solid government. Second, he emphasized that he will run an open-door policy for everybody.

“Whoever wants to see him can see him without any hindrance. And whatever you want to discuss with him, he will give you that privilege to discuss.

“Thirdly, he said we should put our constituency first, since we are here to represent them. He mentioned that he wants the Senate and the House to cooperate to elect good leaders.”

On his part, memberelect for Enugu East/Isiuzo

Federal Constituency, Prof Paul Nnamchi, told our reporter that Tinubu appealed to lawmakers to uphold national interest.

“He appealed that we should forget about party politics and face national interest. That was the major part of his speech.

“He didn’t mention anybody’s name to be voted for. Maybe he is appealing, but I did not hear anybody’s name,” Nnamchi said

Sources who attended the meeting however observed that Mr. President’s body language at the meeting did not go well with party chieftains and promoters of those pushing for the imposition of some of the preferred candidates on both chambers.

Some of the lawmakers expressed excitement over the disposition of the President to the election of the Presiding Officers.

They maintained that the President’s posture was assuring and will provide cordial working relationship between the executive and legislative arms of government.

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Egena Sunday Ode

Patrick UGAMA