LIVE UPDATES
-syESpAQNZp.jpg "The immediate-past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom and incumbent governor of the state, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia")
The immediate-past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has called on the incumbent governor of the state, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, to provide evidence that the state owns an aircraft.
Ortom, said this in a statement on Tuesday by his Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase.
He hinted that he was not aware of the existence of a state-owned aircraft, as his predecessor did not pass one down to him and he did not hand over any to Alia.
Ortom was reacting to a statement by Alia’s CPS, Kula Tersoo, quoting the governor as telling Benue people in the diaspora that the state owns an aircraft.
According to the statement, the Zoom meeting was organised by the Mutual Union of Tiv in America MUTA, and the Idoma Association in the United States of America.
Alia was quoted to have said, “Air transportation is not so functional. I understand the state has an airplane but its whereabouts are still being looked into.
“If the government has better investment opportunities in the air transport sector, it will look into that. There is nothing wrong with having an airport but there is a need for an improved economy.”
Reacting to the zoom meeting statements, Ortom fumed about the information, thereby challenging him to provide evidence to back up his claims that the state owns an airplane.
His media aide said, “I want to state categorically that if the Benue State Government purchased an aircraft before Chief Samuel Ortom became governor in 2015, such a transaction was not part of the handover notes that he received from his predecessor, and no aircraft was handed to the state government under Ortom.
“Similarly, throughout his two tenures (2015 – 2023), the Ortom administration did not buy an airplane. When he was leaving office, the handover notes he presented to his successor, Governor Alia, also had no indication that the state purchased/owned an aircraft.
“An allegation of this nature is too weighty to be swept under the carpet, and only its proof will enable Benue people to know the truth.
“We, therefore, challenge Governor Alia to show evidence that the Benue State Government owned an aircraft before he became governor. He should do this with proof of the date and amount paid for the plane, model/manufacturer of the aircraft, as well as the particular administration that purchased it.”
