Alia vows to recover govt property from Ortom

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Alia vows to recover govt property from Ortom

Benue State Governor, Rev Father Hyacinth Alia, has listed property to recover from the immediate past governor and his members to include government land, vehicles, houses, and furniture.

Alia listed some of the property while inaugurating members of the State and Local Government Property Committee at the old banquet hall of the Government House in Makurdi.

The PUNCH reports that the governor had earlier set up a committee on recovery of looted government property with former permanent secretary, Hingah Biem, as chairman.

A few days after the state government announced the setting up of the committee, the immediate past governor, Samuel Ortom and his deputy, Benson Abounu, instituted a suit in court trying to restrain the committee and government from taking any step towards recovery of the property.

The suit has yet to be assigned to any judge.

While inaugurating the committee on Friday, the governor charged members and the chairman to recover all assets belonging to the state government but had been illegally taken away by the immediate past administration of Ortom.

He said, “It’s not to victimise anybody but it’s the right thing to do to account for all government assets.”

Chairman of the committee, Biem, promised not to disappoint the government and the people of the state in the discharge of their duty.

Meanwhile, Governor Alia on Friday suspended all the 23 local government chairmen and their councillors.

Permanent Secretary of the Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ode Ochelle, stated this in a letter dated June 23, 2023 and directed to all the 23 local government chairmen and leaders of the 23 house.

Recall that the State House of Assembly had on Wednesday recommended to the governor to suspend chairmen and legislative arms of the 23 local governments of the state.