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MAKURDI – A group under the aegis of ‘Former Appointees of His Excellency Samuel Ortom’ has hailed the immediate past Governor of the state, Chief Samuel Ortom, for standing by the people of the state during what they described as the “dark moments of insecurity” in the state, when he was governor.
They also advised the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia to desist from spreading falsehoods against the former governor, including alleged non-performance and years of unpaid salaries, among other issues.
They argued that, apart from standing by the Benue people in times of insecurity, the enactment and enforcement of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017, enacted by the former governor, is one of the most impactful policies of the immediate past administration.
Dr Adzer Abya and Hon Joseph Odaudu, Coordinator and Secretary of the group, in a statement issued to newsmen in Makurdi on Wednesday, emphasised that Ortom chose to stand with the people of Benue, at great political and personal costs.
The group said, “The enactment and enforcement of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017 remains one of the boldest and most impactful policy decisions in the history of Benue State.
“Most importantly, Chief Ortom courageously stood with the people of Benue during the dark moments of insecurity. At great personal and political cost, Ortom chose the protection of Benue communities over political convenience.
“Today, however, Benue people are confronted with a different reality. Three years after Governor Alia assumed office, insecurity has worsened across large parts of the state. Communities continue to be attacked. People continue to be killed. Farmers continue to be displaced from their ancestral lands.
“The humanitarian crisis continues to deepen, yet Governor Alia has repeatedly played down the casualty figures and told the whole world that what is happening in Benue State is “mere skirmishes”.
According to the former aides, they have noted with concern the attempt by the Alia administration to divert public attention from the realities of governance through a sustained campaign of falsehoods against Chief Ortom.
Additionally, they stated that what they had expected was that, as Governor Alia marks three years in office, the administration would provide an elaborate account for his stewardship as well as answers to issues that have been left hanging.
The former appointees of Ortom, however, noted that, to the contrary, the administration has chosen to make excuses, at the same time attacking his predecessor.
They also described as false claims that Ortom left behind four years of unpaid salaries, seven months of pensions and gratuities, stressing that such claims were “false, reckless and deliberately misleading. The facts are readily available”, the group argued.
Despite the challenges the Ortom governments encountered, the group stated that apart from being consistent in the payment of salaries and pensions, the Ortom administration recorded remarkable achievements in infrastructure, education, healthcare, institutional reforms, and rural development.
Buttressing their point, they observed that “Chief Samuel Ortom governed Benue State during one of the most difficult periods in the history of Nigeria and the state. His administration coincided with two devastating economic recessions, a drastic collapse in crude oil prices, a sharp decline in federal allocations, the COVID-19 pandemic, and a sustained wave of armed Fulani herdsmen attacks.
“At one point, federal allocations to Benue dropped to levels that made it practically impossible for the government to meet all its obligations. Benue also had one of the highest wage bills in Nigeria, coming only behind Lagos and Rivers States.
“Yet, despite these challenges, the Ortom administration paid 91 out of 96 months of salaries during its eight years in office. It also inherited a huge burden of unpaid salaries, pensions, and gratuities amounting to ₦72 billion, with over ₦90 billion of contractual obligations, but proceeded to substantially reduce the liability through consistent payments by paying ₦42 billion out of the ₦72 billion pension and gratuities.
“His administration domesticated the Contributory Pension Scheme and made pension contributions of over N8 billion, laying the foundation for a long-term solution to pension challenges in the state.
The records are there. No amount of propaganda can erase them”, the appointees insisted.
The group further highlighted some of the achievements of Ortom, among them, upgrades at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH); facilitating the graduation of medical doctors from Benue State University after years of stagnation; and securing accreditation for Schools of Nursing and Midwifery to resume the graduation of qualified nurses and midwives.
Others are the construction of road projects across the three senatorial districts of the state; upgrading land administration through the establishment of the Benue Geographic Information Service (BENGIS), and strengthening governance institutions across the state, among other developmental projects.
