The former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has called on his successor, Governor Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to make public the state’s wage bill.
According to The PUNCH, this challenge came through a statement issued by Ortom’s media aide, Terver Akase, in Makurdi, Benue State capital on Tuesday.
Ortom also urged Governor Alia to disclose the allocations received since he took office.
Ortom’s demand followed Alia’s revelation that he inherited N359 billion in salary arrears from his predecessor.
During a thank-you tour of the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency, Alia claimed he inherited over N359 billion in salary arrears.
Ortom, who labeled the claim as “nothing but a tissue of lies,” argued that Alia’s statement suggested he had not paid salaries for five years.
Ortom criticized his successor for repeatedly referencing his administration, indicating an obsession with his name.
The former governor noted that the Alia administration had previously acknowledged that Ortom left N187.56 billion in debt upon leaving office in 2023.
He expressed confusion over the new figure presented by Alia during the thank-you tour.
“We challenge the State Government under Governor Alia to publish the allocations they have received since May 2023 and how the funds are being expended. We equally challenge the Alia government to tell the people what the state’s wage bill is, after the Governor claimed that they removed thousands of ‘ghost workers’ from the government’s payroll. The Alia administration should also publish what the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) of the state has been since May 2023 to dat,” the satement added.
Ortom questioned the feasibility of Alia’s claim about inheriting N359 billion in salary arrears, suggesting it falsely implied that his administration did not pay salaries for five years.
He described this narrative as “ridiculously fictitious” and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public.
“The Alia administration appears to be obsessed with the name Samuel Ortom, as they miss no opportunity to throw darts at the immediate past Governor, branding him with all manner of negative hues. It is puzzling that Chief Ortom left office more than a year ago, but his successor and his team can’t get off his back. This is despite the reluctance of the former Governor to engage in a media war with his successor, ” Akase said
Ortom, who inherited debts in 2015, explained that his administration worked diligently to clear salary arrears, implemented a 27% increase in teachers’ salaries, and introduced the N18,000 minimum wage for teachers as well as the N30,000 minimum wage for workers.
Before leaving office in 2023, Ortom’s administration took proactive steps to negotiate and ensure significant debt reduction and relief for the state.
He urged his successor to focus on governance and fulfill his campaign promises to the people instead of chasing shadows.
