Samuel Ortom, the former Governor of Benue State, has beed detained by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), according to report.
The ex-governor was remanded after he honoured an invitation by the Commission.
The reason for his detention is still not to clear as at the time of publishing this news but however, could be linked to his stewardship as Governor of Benue State for eight years.
As at exactly 10:08 am, today, June 19, 2023, the former governor walked briskly into the anti-graft’s building, located at Alor Gordon street in Abuja and never came out. It is believed Ortom was held inside the building undergoing interrogation.
Ortom was accompanied by his aides, Terver Akase, and Principal Special Assistant on Special Duties, Abraham Kwanhgu.
On assumption of office after the inauguration, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, lamented over the state of affairs he met in Benue State.
He accused the former governor of insensitivity to public needs and misappropriation, considering the debt profile of N187.7 billion, handed him by the latter.
While handling three separate volumes of document representing a brief on his eight years stewardship to Rev Alia, Ortom disclosed that, as at April 2023, the total income generated throughout the period amounted to ₦734.9 billion, while the total debt incurred was ₦187.7billion, inclusive of pension arrears, unpaid salary, loans, bonds and others.
Samuel Ortom, is one of the G5 Governors who rebelled against their party, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), on grounds of fairness and equity.
Their anger was on the basis of power shift to southern part of Nigeria, which they convincingly and unconvincingly stood for. The group also went all out against the party Chairman, Dr. Iyorcha Ayu – as they press-on for his abdication, on the grounds that the party’s chairman and presidential candidate should not come from same region, the north.
Ortom and his group which consists of: Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu), Samuel Ortom (Benue), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Nyesom Wike (Rivers), jettisoned the choice of their party’s candidate for the 2023 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.
Immediately after the party’s convention, the 5 governors built an alliance, which they backed with several shows and performances – wearing same traditional costumes, dancing, attending events together and taunting their political adversaries.
Coveting secretly the choice of their presidential candidate, it wasn’t long that their choices went separate ways.
Internal disagreement on the choice of a common presidential candidate, brought about a diverted political course that saw Wike and Makinde supporting the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, while Ortom and others supported the Labour party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
Although Ortom supported his party- throwing his weight behind the PDP governorship candidate of Benue state, Titus Uba but was unable to deliver, as APC swept the state, both in the 2023 presidential and gubernatorial levels, respectively.
Ortom’s freedom from EFCC is still shrouded in secrecy – depending on the weight of his financial crime.
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