Ortom drags Benue govt to court over asset recovery move

Immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, have dragged Governor Hyacinth Alia, and the state
government before a Makurdi High Court over an Asset Recovery Committee recently set up to recover government properties from the past administration.

Ortom who filed the suit alongside his Deputy, Benson Abounu, is seeking the court to determine whether the property legitimately allocated to them as entitlements and remuneration could still be considered as state government assets.

He is also seeking an order of “injunction restraining the defendants, by themselves, agents, successors or privies, from violating the plaintiffs’ individual and collective rights to own property validly vested on them by the Benue State government.”

Read also: Benue sets up committee to recover looted govt property

In the suit filed on Thursday on behalf of Ortom and Abounu by their lawyer, Douglas Pepe, the plaintiff asked the court to determine whether or not by the combined effect of sections 5(2), 44, 318(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the executive actions and decisions of the governor and Government of Benue State taken by Ortom and Abounu and the State Executive Council, in good faith before May 29, 2023, were valid.

“The plaintiffs are also seeking a determination of court whether or not the governor of Benue State is not bound by the constitutional approvals made by his predecessor,” the suit states.

“A declaration that by the combined effect of sections 5(2), 44,318(1) of the 1999 Constitution, the executive actions and decisions of the 1st and 2nd defendants taken by the plaintiffs and the State Executive Council, in good faith before 29/05/2023 were valid, among others,” it added.

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