Ortom drags Akume to court over fraud allegations

By CEPHAS IORHEMEN, Makurdi

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom Wednesday said he has briefed his lawyers on taking the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume to court over fraud allegations he pinned against him.

The minister, had at a news conference, alleged that Ortom had received N40 billion from the Federal Government as bailout funds to offset the backlog of unpaid salaries and entitlements to workers and pensioners in the state.

Akume also accused Governor Ortom of allocating N800 million monthly to himself as security votes, in addition to raising a militia group to kill Fulani herdsmen in the state among others.

But Ortom, in a swift reaction, described the allegations as a tissue of lies just for Akume to secure his meal ticket from his pay masters.

Addressing a news conference at the Government House, Governor Ortom, who was visibly angry, said: “I am taking Akume to court for him to come and prove all the allegations he raised against me.

“The onus of prove falls on him, all those things he said are lies I have not done anything outside the laws of our land on resources I have not done anything outside the budget of this state because the figures he was calling are all lies and he will go and prove it before the court of law.”

He noted that Senator Akume, who was governor of the state and conversant with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, attempted to impeach him in 2018, but failed a development he said made him (Akume) to loose his senatorial election through massive rejection by people of the state.

Governor Ortom also raised the alarm that he has received intelligence reports from neighbouring Nasarawa State that some persons were collaborating with terrorists to invade Benue communities and kill residents. (New Telegraph)