Former Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has told his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia, to stop blaming him for the state’s lingering insecurity and humanitarian crisis, urging the new administration to take responsibility and focus on solving the problems.
In a statement issued on Sunday, June 22, by his former Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, Ortom said the constant references to his name have become a tired excuse that won’t bring peace to Benue.
“The obsession with Ortom’s name will not stop the killings,” Akase said, reacting to comments made by Governor Alia that accused the former administration of leaving over four million people displaced.
Governor Alia had, through his spokesperson Tersoo Kula, claimed, “Under Ortom’s watch, Benue State recorded the highest number of IDPs in its history, with over four million people displaced from their ancestral homes. This figure underscores the failure of reactive rhetoric without strategic support for security architecture.”
But Ortom’s camp insists the claim is false and misleading. “At no time did Chief Ortom claim there were four million IDPs.
“The administration worked with reputable humanitarian agencies to generate accurate, verifiable data. The 1.5 million figure was officially documented and is the same figure Governor Alia inherited, accepted, and presented to partners,” Akase countered.
He accused the current administration of focusing more on political attacks than addressing the real issues on the ground.
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“From the day he assumed office, Governor Alia and his aides have made it their mission to drag Ortom’s name into every matter, whether relevant or not,” Akase said. “This obsession won’t solve the crisis in the state.”
Akase also criticised the government’s silence over a recent protest by internally displaced persons at the Makurdi International Market camp, who complained of hunger and neglect.
“While IDPs were protesting hunger and neglect, the Executive Secretary of SEMA was seen attending a lavish wedding in the United Kingdom.
“We expected a press release that would address that shameful insensitivity. Instead, what we got was yet another attack on Ortom,” he said.
He urged Governor Alia to shift focus and implement the security roadmap President Bola Tinubu proposed during his recent visit to Benue.
“Mr. President gave practical steps to address insecurity in Benue,” Akase said. “Rather than act, Governor Alia keeps spinning excuses — one day blaming foreign mercenaries, the next day it’s ‘Abuja politicians,’ and now even religious leaders.”
Akase ended by saying that the time for blame is over and what Benue needs now is leadership that takes action.