Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, on Tuesday launched a fresh attack on his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia, describing him as a “hypocrite” and vowing to expose what he alleged were acts of mismanagement and wrongdoing under the current administration.
Ortom made the remarks during an interactive session with journalists at his residence in the Judges Quarters area along Gboko Road, Makurdi.
The former governor was reacting to the report of a state probe panel which accused his administration of failing to account for about N139.8 billion during his eight years in office.
He rejected the allegations and accused the Alia administration of carrying out what he described as a politically motivated campaign against him.
“As from today, I am going to expose this government for hypocrisy, outright looting of state resources, injustices against the people and the ceding of our land to foreigners,” Ortom said.
He added that several allegations had been made against him and argued that remaining silent would amount to accepting guilt.
According to him, “After three years, I concluded that if I remain silent, it will amount to admittance, so I need to defend myself and let the world know that what Alia is doing is pure persecution.”
Ortom also challenged Governor Alia to a public debate, proposing that both leaders present their records and compare achievements based on the resources available to their administrations.
