Former Governor of Benue State, Dr. Samuel Ortom has advised his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia to state the obvious as relates to claims of inherited debts from his administration.
The immediate past Governor dropped the advice on the heels of the discrepancy in the figures of the inherited debts given by the governor on two different occasions, saying it amounted to fabrications to deceive Benue populace.
Recall that the Governor upon assumption of office said he inherited N187.56b debt from his predecessor and wondered why the debt profile inherited from the same administration has swollen to N359b as he said during his Thank-You tour to the people of Benue State.
In a statement issued by his media aide, Terver Akase, a copy of which was made available to correspondents in Makurdi on Tuesday, the former governor also asked Governor Alia to publish the allocations received since his assumption of office as well as the wage bill of the state.
Ortom’s call followed Alia’s disclosure that he inherited N359 billion in salary arrears from his predecessor.
Alia disclosed during his Thank-You tour of the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency that he inherited over N359 billion in salary arrears.
Ortom, who described the claim as untrue, said that Governor Alia, by his claim, had created the impression that he did not pay salary for five years.
Ortom said that his successor has been bandying his administration, which shows that the governor is obsessed with his name.
The former governor recalled that the Alia administration had admitted that he (Ortom) left N187.56 billion in debt when he assumed office in 2023 and expressed worries about the new figure the governor dropped during his tour.
“We challenge the State Government under Governor Alia to publish the allocations they have received since May 2023 and how the funds are being expended.
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“We equally challenge the Alia government to tell the people what the state’s wage bill is, after the Governor claimed that they removed thousands of “ghost workers” from the government’s payroll.
“The Alia administration should also publish what the Internally Generated Revenue, IGR of the state has been since May 2023 to date.
“Going by Governor Alia’s claim that he inherited N359 billion in salary arrears, the unfounded impression created is that the past administration of Governor Ortom did not pay salaries for five years (60 months).
“How possible is this? The narrative is not only ridiculously fictitious but is also a deliberate flimflam to mislead the people.
“The Alia administration appears to be obsessed with the name Samuel Ortom, as they miss no opportunity to throw darts at the immediate past Governor, branding him with all manner of negative hues.
“It is puzzling that Chief Ortom left office more than a year ago, but his successor and his team can’t get off his back. This is despite the reluctance of the former Governor to engage in a media war with his successor.”
Ortom who said that he too inherited debts in 2015 explained that his administration worked tirelessly to clear arrears of salary and the same time implemented a 27% increase in teachers’ salaries, the N18,000 minimum wage for teachers as well the N30,000 minimum wage for workers.
The former governor said that before he left office in 2023, his administration took proactive steps to negotiate and ensure significant debt reduction and relief for the state.
Ortom urged his successor to stop chasing shadows, concentrate on governance, and fulfil his campaign promises to the people.
This is coming at a time the Abia State Government has shifted from blame game to concentrating on fashioning out ways to clear salary arrears owned workers in the state.
The Commissioner for Finance, Mr Mike Akpara, made this known on Tuesday during a press conference in Umuahia.
Akpara expressed the determination of the present administration to completely change the narrative of owing workers’ salaries because “a worker deserves his wages”.
According to him, the present administration inherited a debt of N16.5 billion of salary arrears owed to workers in state-own institutions of learning.
He said that the government had resolved to clear the arrears, and ensured that the advancement it recorded in other sectors of the economy would be sustained.
“We need to jump-start the economy of the state, and for the velocity of money to improve in Abia, we need to stop going to bed by 7 pm.
“For salary arrears, the governor has set up machinery in motion to ensure that salary arrears would become a thing of the past.
“One thing I will promise is that it will be paid but it is not going to be in one sweep.
“We will do it in instalments so that it does not hamper the progress of another sector of the economy,” he said.
