Ortom accuses Alia of providing false information about Benue’s debts and revenue

The former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has responded to his successor, Hyacinth Alia’s recent claims regarding the state’s finances, including incomes, the wage bill, and debts, by accusing him of engaging in embellishments and shocking fabrications.

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Ortom’s media aide, Terver Akase, issued a statement expressing disbelief at the allegations made by Governor Alia in a recent interview published in the Vanguard newspaper.

In the interview, Governor Alia was quoted as saying that the previous administration left arrears of salaries amounting to hundreds of billions of naira, a claim that Ortom’s camp vehemently denies.

Furthermore, Alia alleged that there were more ghost schools than functional ones inherited from his predecessor, a statement that Ortom’s team finds false and misleading.

Ortom’s media aide pointed out that Governor Alia failed to provide any concrete figures to support his claims, raising doubts about the validity of the allegations.

The statement questions the logic behind such accusations and emphasizes the need for substantiated claims rather than baseless accusations.

Additionally, the discrepancy between the alleged arrears and the total wage bill of the state is highlighted, casting doubt on the credibility of Governor Alia’s assertions.