The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Chief Samuel Ortom

  • Benue can account for bailout fund’- CPS to the Governor

    Against the backdrop of speculations that the Senate might probe into the way the bailout funds were managed in some states, the Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom has said he is unperturbed as he can account for the way every penny of the 28billion Naira that accrued to the State was utilised.

    Governor Ortom spoke through his Chief Press Secretary CPS, Mr Terver Akase in Makurdi, the State capital today. He said his administration welcome the proposed probe and described it as a way of strengthening accountability and prudent management of resources.

    Media reports had said that during its sitting on Monday, the Senate indicated that it is poised to probe Benue and Osun States over the disbursement of the bailout fund.

    “The call by the Senate is apt, it is the responsibility of the legislature to checkmate the executive and we in Benue State have nothing to fear because our government is anchored on transparency, accountability and the fear of God.”

    He said the State government utilised the bailout funds judiciously and transparently, expressing the willingness to account for it anytime.

    “We are happy with the call because it affords us the opportunity to tell the whole world how the bailout fund was transparently utilised by the Governor. The ICPC had investigated the State and did not find anything wrong. As far as we are concerned, there is no known case of any diversion of the bailout funds,” Akase stated.

    The spokesperson said his boss runs an open government with nothing to hide and therefore welcomes any move that will promote fiscal discipline, which said is already a tradition in their state.

  • I have no case with Ortom, says Mark

    I have no case with Ortom, says Mark

    Former Senate President, David Mark, Sunday said that he did not accuse the Benue State Government of interference in the Court of Appeal decision which voided the Benue South Senatorial election result.

    Mark however noted that he found it curious that the state governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, promptly came up with a frantic denial of playing any role in the judicial decision as if he sat on the panel of judges who voided the election.

    The former Senate President spoke through his media assistant Paul Mumeh in a statement made available to reporters in Abuja.

    The Court of Appeal on Saturday voided the March 28 Senatorial election in Benue South which returned Mark as the winner of the election.

    Mark noted that it is even more strange that Ortom, claimed “neither to have interfered nor influenced the judgement” when nobody accused or mentioned the governor’s name in any blame sharing.

    The statement read in part, “We do not intend to join issues with anyone over the decision of the Court of Appeal in Makurdi, Benue State, that voided the election of the former President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, as Senator representing Benue South

    “But we found it curious that the state governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, can come up with a frantic denial of playing any role in the judicial decision as if he sat on the panel.

    “It is even more strange that Ortom, through his media adviser, Terve Akase, said his boss neither interfered nor influenced the judgement whereas nobody had accused or mentioned the governor’s name in any blame sharing.

    “It is trite saying in African tradition that if an owl cried in the night and a child dies the morning, we do not need to ask who killed the child.

    “Would it be wrong to conclude therefore that Ortom, through his media adviser, has personally or vicariously, taken responsibility for the panel decision to rule against Senator Mark?

    “On our part, we believe in the independence of the judiciary as the last hope of the common man but the governor’s quick denial of any role in the judgement, even when he had not been accused, is a subtle narrative of the role the state government played in this bizarre decision of the Appeal panel.

    “In Benue South, hate him or love him, Senator Mark adorns a garment washed by God which no man can stain.

    “If for whatever reason, the justices of Appeal Tribunal found merit in awarding victory to a man who neither participated nor contested the election in the real sense of the word, we hail their ingenuity.

    “For us, it is more revealing that the Appeal panel did not question or disapproved the results of the election but found comfort in conflict in dates signed by the INEC returning officer for no fault of Sen. Mark as if that was more relevant than the votes that count and were counted.

    “Nothing can be farther from the truth. Our people voted overwhelmingly for Sen. Mark on march 28th 2015 and are prepared to do same even now. No amount of external forces or harassment can undermine the resolve of our people .

    “It is no longer a surprise that people forget their yesterday with ease but we wish Ortom well.”

  • Benue: Ortom dumps PDP for APC Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

    Benue: Ortom dumps PDP for APC Uja Emmanuel, Makurdi

    A former Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Chief Samuel Ortom, is set to dump the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State.

    Ortom has reportedly started discussions with the state APC leaders on when to publicly declare for the party.

    The former minister’s decision to dump the PDP was taken at last Sunday’s meeting with his supporters.

    Over 250 major stakeholders were said to have resolved, at the meeting, that the Ortom Governorship Organisation set up a committee to explore an alternative platform for him to realise his governorship aspiration.

    They included former national and state assembly members, state executive council members, council chairmen, party chieftains, women and youths.

    At the meeting, which held at Smile View Hotel in Makurdi, Ortom’s campaign directors, advisers, elders, local government coordinators and secretaries reportedly advised him to explore alternative platforms to realise his governorship aspiration.

    His campaign organisation’s Director-General, Mr Tsenongo Abancha, and Adviser, Mr Terwase Orbunde, said there were ominous signs in the PDP.

    They noted that the inability of the party’s leaders to resolve the complaints arising from the November 1 ward congresses in the state showed the PDP was in a crisis.

    Ortom’s supporters said they were reliable informed that there was a deliberate plan to exclude the aspirant from PDP’s governorship primaries, hence the need to explore an alternative platform.

    Abancha and Orbunde noted that Ortom was among the most popular governorship aspirants in the state, adding that the people looked up to him to confront challenges facing the state.

    They promised to implement the resolution and report back soon because there was little time to comply with the requirements of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the nomination of candidates.

    Ortom assured that he would emerge victorious at the end of the day.

    The aspirant urged his supporters not to antagonise anyone but to trust in God and move on to His righteous side, in line with his campaign anthem.

    Ortom added that he was holding discussions with PDP leaders and would know his fate in the next few days.

     

  • Relief for Benue flood victims

    Relief for Benue flood victims

    Minister of State for Trade and Investment, Chief Samuel Ortom has visited some flood victims that ravaged several communities in Benue State. He visited them at the three primary schools in Makurdi where he distributed relief materials worth N5m.

    Though the minister was also affected by the disaster which was the aftermath of release of excess water from Ladgo Dam in Cameroun, he still remembered those who have no one to help them.

    Chief Ortom visited each camp with truck load of relief materials, which he distributed for the upkeep of those displaced.

    Some of the items he donated included bags of rice, packs of bottled water; packets of soaps, toiletries and bags of salts.

    Addressing the displaced, among the children and women, the minister charged them to be strong and have belief in God; trusting that soon they would go back to their various homes.

    He disclosed that he lost 350 hectares of rice farm to the flood, even as he said that his house along Gboko Road in Makurdi was also submerged by the flood. He urged them to be patient as government is doing everything possible to ensure their comfort in the camps.

    Chief Ortom, who commended Governor Gabriel Suswam for his effort towards alleviating the plight of the displaced people, reiterated the determination of the Federal Government to tackle the issue of flood in the country once and for all.

    The minister was accompanied on the visit by the Secretary to State Emergency Management Authority (SEMA) Mr. Adikpo Agbatse and other dignitaries.

    The camps for the displaced people which he visited were St Catherine’s Primary School, Local Government Education Authority Primary School and NKST Primary School Wadata, all in the state capital.