By Winnie Onu, Makurdi
The media team of former Benue State Governor, Chief Samuel Ortom, has condemned Governor Hyacinth Alia for what it described as “unprovoked attacks” against the ex-governor in a recent statement issued by Alia’s office.
In a statement signed by Ortom’s media aide, Terver Akase, the team accused Governor Alia and his aides of being “obsessed” with Ortom, constantly dragging the former governor into public discourse even when issues have no connection to him.
This comes after Alia, in a statement through his Chief Press Secretary, criticised Ortom’s administration over the handling of internally displaced persons (IDPs), alleging that more than four million people were displaced under Ortom’s watch, a figure Akase described as “completely fabricated.”
“Governor Ortom never at any point claimed Benue had four million IDPs. His administration developed a verifiable Humanitarian Response Plan and generated accurate data in collaboration with agencies like SEMA, NEMA, UNHCR, IOM, and others,” the statement said.
The Ortom camp further claimed that Alia had been using the same IDP data inherited from Ortom’s administration since taking office in 2023.
“We urge Governor Alia to stop playing politics with the lives of Benue people. The killings by armed herders have intensified under his watch, yet he continues to peddle conflicting narratives from blaming foreigners and Abuja politicians to accusing religious leaders of fueling the crisis,” the statement continued.
Akase also criticised the governor for allegedly failing to implement the security roadmap handed to him by President Bola Tinubu during his recent visit to the state, added that Governor Alia should leverage the increased federal allocation following the removal of fuel subsidy to tackle insecurity and improve governance.
Referencing the recent protest by displaced persons at the Makurdi International Market camp, the Ortom team lamented the perceived insensitivity of the state government, noting that while IDPs were crying out over neglect, the head of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) was seen attending a lavish wedding in the UK.
The statement also called on Alia to respect the Supreme Court ruling granting financial autonomy to local governments, accusing him of holding back council funds and frustrating local governance efforts.
“If the Alia administration is overwhelmed by the security crisis, it should admit so and invite stakeholders to help, rather than throw canisters at imaginary enemies,” Akase said.
He concluded with a warning: “Henceforth, any falsehood peddled against Chief Ortom will receive an equal and factual response. Ortom has done his part and moved on. The burden of leadership now rests squarely on Governor Alia’s shoulders.”
