– Those Who Are Not Witches Should Not Be Scared Of A “Witch-Hunt” – Alia’s CPS
– For PDP and Ortom
We have read with dismay, contradictory statements from Mr. Terver Akase, a media aide to the former Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, and also from the State Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party in Benue State, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom, wherein they both accused the Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia’s administration of harassing and witch-hunting Samuel Ortom.
We can recall that during the June 22nd, 2023 inauguration of the Assets Recovery Committee by His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Alia, 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 remit 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?
Sadly, to desperately defend callousness, 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,” while 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.” I truly sympathise with them here. This is a clear case of double-speak and a feeble depiction of desperation to defend the indefensible.
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.
We witnessed a regime that supervised broad-day robbery and rape of our common patrimony. Let it be made abundantly clear that the old order is gone, and gone for good.
The good thing is 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.
Finally, we do not believe Ortom is the proverbial witch and as such he is being ‘hunted’ as his spokespersons would want the public to believe. Someone should ask him not to be bothered even if Alia has come to witch hunt. He will only be concerned with witches that, under the cover of night, mercilessly pillaged with reckless abandon the resources and common patrimony of the state.
Sir Tersoo Kula
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Benue State.
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