EFCC Frees Ex-Gov Ortom After 10 Hours Grilling
BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – Immediate Past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom has been released from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) after about 10 hours of grilling.
Ortom had honoured the anti-corruption agency’s invitation around 10:00 am on Tuesday when he drove in a convoy of a few SUV vehicles into the Makurdi zonal office located along Alor Gordon Street in the state capital, accompanied by two of his former aides.
According to reports, those sighted with the former governor were his Special Adviser on Media and ICT, Terver Akase, and Principal Special Assistant on Special Duties, Abraham Kwanhgu.
Though details of the engagement between Ortom and the anti-graft agency officials remained sketchy, insider sources hinted that he is being interrogated over alleged financial misappropriation and, abuse of power among other sundry issues during his tenure as governor of Benue state.
A brief statement released by his former Media Adviser, Terver Akase said the ex-governor was neither arrested nor detained at the EFCC Zonal Headquarters in Makurdi as insinuated in the media space.
The statement by Akase said; “Contrary to insinuations in some sections of the media, the immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom today visited the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC to honour the invitation of the commission.
“The former Governor has repeatedly said that he is available to respond to inquiries by anti-graft agencies as he has nothing to hide regarding his stewardship of Benue State”.
Meanwhile, attempts to have official comments from the EFCC and the ex-governor proved abortive even as Ortom stepped out of the EFCC’s Zonal office at about 7:55 pm to the warm embrace of his aides and some family members looking exhausted.
In his handing over notes, the ex-governor during a brief ceremony held at the old banquet hall of Government House in Makurdi indicated to the administration of Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia that the State’s debt profile stands at about N187.7 billion.
Explaining that the three-volume handover notes were a summary of his eight years of administration, Ortom said the total income of the state during his eight years sojourn amounted to N734.9billion as of April 2023 while the total debt incurred by the state within the period stood at N187.7billion inclusive of unpaid salary, pension arrears, loans and bonds among others.
While also informing the new administration of an existing debt swap/reduction arrangement between the State and the Federal Government to the tune of N97.716 billion, Ortom had indicated that with an expected inflow of N48 billion, after a discount, the negotiated debt swap would be reduced to N45.2 billion, thereby bringing down the state’s total debt profile.
Additionally, he stated that the State government had already secured a N41 billion loan approval and another N20 billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) facility, urging the Alia-led administration to press for the release of the money to aid its running of the government.
