Gov Ortom hails EFCC in probe of Speaker,14 lawmakers over N750m scam

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom is happy with the ongoing investigation of the Speaker and 14 lawmakers of the state by the EFCC, over an alleged mismanagement of N750 million meant for purchase of official cars.

The governor is bent on ensuring that no corrupt person in the present administration or the immediate past goes unpunished, vowing not to condone any act of criminality or defend anyone who had a hand in fraud.

The Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Terkinbi Ikange; his deputy, James Ikefe; the Majority Leader, Benjamin Adanyi; Deputy Majority Leader, Nick Eworo; the Minority Leader, Sule Audu and 10 other members were arrested and detained on Monday in Abuja by the EFCC.

The Speaker and his colleagues who were granted bail on Wednesday after spending three days in detention and another seven members will also submit themselves this Friday to EFCC for questioning.

Ortom who spoke to State House Correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the presidential Villa, Abuja, posited that no one would be spared in any matter of corruption in his state, vowing to recover N107 billion looted from the state treasury by the government of Governor Gabriel Suswam.

The Governor said, “Yes it is a good thing, it is part of the process. They are under investigation by the EFCC. From day one I brought up a slogan that ‘if you chop money, money will chop you.

Read also: Ex Acting Gov Fintiri remanded in Kuje prison for N1bn fraud

“We have to be careful and I have sent signals to all that nobody is above the law. If you do wrong, you will go your own way. As far as I’m concerned, they are under investigation. Let’s see the outcome we would have. My government will not shield anybody who is corrupt and who is found wanting. From myself as governor and every other lieutenant, we are open to scrutiny.”

The governor who was himself, recently fingered in an alleged illegal transfer of $2.4billion to an account regretted that some people could peddle such rumours of cash transfers against his government.

According to him, “There is freedom of information bill and people are allowed to get information from these sources. The only thing is that there is no point telling lies and peddling falsehood against leaders. Like I heard somebody said we transferred 2.4 billion dollars to an account. Which account, where is the money? Money that I don’t have to do local government election, or to pay salaries. If I have it, wont I pay them?

He added, “The justice Kpojume commission came out with a report that N107 billion should be retrieved from 52 persons including the former governor and I am leaving no stones unturned to ensure that we recover this money because we need it for the development of Benue State.

“Already someone who was indicted has already offered to refund N355 million which we gave the approval in council on Wednesday. With that we are not interested in prosecution. The exco exonerated him, once he pays in the money, he has his clean bill.”

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