•••Asset Recovery Committee Recovers 34 Cars From Otorm Firm
Attah Ede Makurdi
The Peoples Democratic Party and All Progressives Congress in Benue State are engaged in war of words over the raid of an automobile company belonging to the immediate past Governor of the State, Samuel Ortom.
On Tuesday evening, the Asset Recovery Committee set up by Governor Hyacinth Alia raided a private automobile workshop owned by the former governor’s private company, Oracle Nig. Ltd.
The committee carted away 34 motor vehicles comprising SUV, buses at the premises of the workshop.
Reacting to the incident, the PDP in a press statement signed by its State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom said the party is appalled at the naked display of tyranny and vendetta by Governor Hyacinth Alia against his predecessor, Ex-Governor Samuel Ortom.
According to him, Staff of the workshop have confirmed to PDP that the number of vehicles yet to be ascertained, were those brought there for rapairs by private owners and are not in any way from any public source.
“PDP notes that this is yet another manifestation of disregard for the rule of law by the Benue State Governor, considering that there is a subsisting court order barring his government from tampering with the assets of the former governor, specifically motor vehicles.
“It is the party’s further observation that while the governor is completely disconnected from the security and good governance of the state, he has devoted all of his time and energies to pursuing a witch-hunt against his predecessor.
Responding to PDP claims, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alia, Tersoo Kula stated that his boss is not out to witch-hunt his predeccesor.
He however, maintained that the discovery and retrieval of more Benue assets currently in the wrong hands, will provide the right ground for accountability in the Alia led administration in the state.
Kula recalled that at the inauguration of the Asset’s Recovery Committee headed by a retired Permanent Secretary, Hingah Biem on June 22nd, 2023, the Governor had charged the committee not to witch hunt anyone, but to stop at nothing to legitimately recover all lands, vehicles, houses, furniture and other machines wrongly taken away, sold and kept in the wrong hands.
“Ortom was not and has never been the target, as his aide and the Publicity Secretary of his party would want the unsuspecting mass of Benue people to falsely believe in a bid to curry undue public sympathy.
‘The discovery and recovery of numerous vehicles at a private building within the state capital by the committee is an indication that they have truly swung into action.
‘In fact, all patriotic Benue citizens should be happy, and must commend the Committee for daring to carry out the assignment given to them by the government without fear or favour, operating strictly in line and within the limit of their terms of reference.
‘Ortom and the PDP must be reminded that a committee of this nature is NOT alien to Benue State.
“Ortom had set up and supervised similar committees, shortly after he was sworn into office in 2015. Government assets were allegedly recovered from certain individuals at the time, including from his predecessor, Sen. Gabriel Suswam.
“Should we now say the Ortom led administration was equally on a mission to harass or witch hunt his predecessor?
However, the media side to the former Governor, Mr. Akase has, in his official statement described the building where the vehicles were recovered as “a commercial automobile workshop operated by London Lines Transport Ltd,”
But Mr. Bemgba on the other hand, in his official statement for the party stated that, the place is “a private automobile workshop owned by Gov. Ortom’s business concern, Oracle Business Ltd.”
“The questions begging for answers are: who truly owns the automobile workshop? Is London Line Transport Ltd a sister or cousin enterprise to Oracle Business Ltd?
“Does former governor Ortom own both companies? Can we see papers apportioning proprietary rights to owners of the cars taken from the workshop?
“But one thing is sure. Benue people were surprised to see the number of cars recovered at a property belonging to someone they once held in trust”,the Governor’s spokesman said.