Ortom Asks EFCC to Commence Probe of Security Vote Spending from the Presidency

Governor Samuel Ortom has chided President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for witch hunting him following allegations levelled against him by the Economic and Financial Crime Commission(EFCC) that he is involved in a N22 billion security vote diversion.

The governor, who denied the allegation, said the agency should rather beam their search on the presidency over its security vote spending.

Ortom stated this while briefing journalists on Wednesday shortly after a state broadcast in Makurdi, the state capital.

The governor wondered why he should be singled out among all governors in the country for such probe, and advised the anti-graft agency to begin its probe from the presidency.

“So far, I am the only governor in Nigeria whose security vote is being investigated by the EFCC. Why should Benue State case be different if this is not persecution?

“If the EFCC wanted a genuine investigation of security vote spending, they should have started from the presidency right across the 36 states

“If their focus was on Benue State, they should have started from 1999 when Senator George Akume was the state governor. But this is not the case. I want the world to know that this is all about persecution and a clear case of witch-hunting.

He referred to comments made by the presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, during an interview on Channels Television, where he was quoted as saying: "I doubt if any government would come to say this is how much we have spent on security, because can you quantify the amount of one life? It is not something that any government will begin to disclose.”

Ortom then asked: "Why should Benue State case be different if not persecution? If the EFCC wanted a genuine investigation of security vote spending they should have started from the presidency right across the 36 States.

"The security vote spending being investigated spans from 2015 to 2018, which is a period of grave security challenges in the state. I reiterate that the investigation is a clear case of persecution. I have not misappropriated, diverted or stolen any money. I have nothing to hide. I assure you that the investigators can find nothing incriminating against me.”

Ortom acknowledged that the biggest challenge facing his administration is the payment of salaries, noting that it was caused by the N69 billion  inherited as arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities as well as another N70 billion commitment on contracts and other obligations.

He also decried that the state has a very low Internally Generate Revenue (IGR), averring that it has the third highest salary bill in the country surpassed by only Lagos and Rivers States.

The governor said the attempt on him is second phase of the deliberate destabilisation of the state after the Fulani herdsmen concerted invasion, killings and destruction seem to have failed.

"All these are coming under the veil of a plan to impeach some opposition governors including the democratically elected governor of Benue State. The ultimate objective of the grand conspiracy is the destabilisation of the entire Middle Belt and other parts of the country for the purpose of conquest and occupation," he frowned.