has accused his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam, of refusing to return his
part of the alleged N107billion loot during his tenure. The former
governor was among the 52 persons indicted in a report. In an exclusive interview with daily trust, Ortom said that Suswam rather vowed to fight back
instead of returning the money. He also spoke on why he declared Fridays
work-free days for civil servants in the state.
Some of the internally displaced victims of the farmers/herders
crisis in Agatu are returning home after spending several months at the
camps located in some neighbouring local government areas of the state.
What is the Benue State government doing to resettle the returnees?
The destruction is a very big challenge; not just in Agatu but in other
local government areas: Makurdi, Guma, Buruku, Kwande, Logo, Tarka and
Gwer West. People have returned to most of these areas with the
exception of Kwande, where a whole council ward is still occupied by the
herdsmen. It is a very big challenge. That is at the boundary between
Benue and Taraba. But we’re discussing. We will soon hold a meeting with
our Taraba State counterpart because of the boundary issues that are
involved too. The herdsmen are currently occupying the settlements in
Moon council ward. It is unfortunate.
Government is willing to support and help our people return to their
various homes, but unfortunately, it is happening at a time the economy
is not favourable. The downturn in revenue generation has brought untold
hardship on our people. Salaries are no longer paid as at when due. It
is a major problem for a state like Benue. The industry we know is the
civil service, so when salaries are not paid as at when due, it becomes a
very big challenge. We have tried, but we are down. At the state level
we owing five months salaries, while at the local government level it is
six months. It is a very big challenge. But it is important that these
people return. I have set up a committee to verify and see areas where
government can come in and give them support so that they settle down
and rehabilitate themselves. I think that by next week, the report
should be on my table. If it requires the approval of the council, I
will bring it, but if it’s within my limit, I will approve something, no
matter how small. We need to help our people have some succour and
return to their homes.
What are you doing to permanently secure Agatu and the other affected parts of the state?
The conventional security agencies are available up till today. Soldiers
are still there, the police are there, and they are being funded by the
state government. It is not easy but they are doing their best. For
now, the place is calm as far as we are concerned. However, constant
review of it will help.
Honestly, I must state that the permanent solution to this problem is
ranching. This is because there is no way farming and grazing can go
together, especially for a ‘food basket state like Benue, where more
than 90 per cent of the people are farmers and civil servants. There are
no industries, no commercial activities, no investments coming in. It
is difficult for us to mix grazing and farming because even the civil
servants supplement what they get at the end of the month with farming.
Even when there is nothing at all, you know you must eat to survive.
I think we need the intervention of the Federal Government to
rehabilitate these people. This is actually beyond the state. I have
mentioned more than nine local governments which are affected by this
destruction, so the Federal Government needs to come in. Our children
are no longer going to school in those areas. Primary schools,
hospitals, churches, houses, farms and economic trees have been
destroyed. You have gone there and have been able to see things for
yourself, so you can appreciate the magnitude of the destruction that
has taken place. We are also calling on good spirited individuals,
groups and non-governmental organisations to come in and support the
state. We are really down. The state government cannot fund the
rehabilitation of these people; hence, if help does not come from the
Federal Government and other good spirited individuals, it is going to
be very difficult for our people to settle down.
I recall that when you assumed office, you offered amnesty to youths
that were in possession of arms and terrorising the state. What impact
has the amnesty made so far on the security of the state?
The amnesty programme was in two folds: the carrot approach and the
stick approach. We did the carrot approach successfully, during which we
recovered over 600 different types of weapons and thousands of
ammunition. Also, over 900 youths surrendered to the amnesty programme.
But due to economic hardship, we have not been able to fully integrate
and rehabilitate these youths. I have discovered that some of them are
being enticed by politicians to go back. The success of the amnesty
programme was all over the place. Even the United Nations (UN) gave us
commendation and asked us to make a presentation.
Some of our political opponents were not happy and they went about
instigating these youths and luring them back to that life and even
supplying them weapons. We have noticed that some of them are going back
to their old ways, and that is why we are witnessing the series of
kidnappings, killings and armed robbery. But I think it is something we
have to reinforce. Now, we have said we are going to use the stick
approach. The conventional security apparatuses are going to go after
them with the active support of the state government. I believe this
will restore peace. There is no way we can surrender our state to
criminals. For us, from the beginning, we told our people that what we
need to do is to industrialise the state so that we can process the
abundant raw materials we have. We will make sure that we develop and
encourage micro, small and medium scale enterprises, ensure we encourage
commercial activities and make sure we bring investment into our state.
All these things cannot strive in the midst of insecurity. That is why
security is the priority of this administration. There is no way I will
allow criminals to take over and stop me from implementing my
programmes. Today, governments at the state, federal and local levels do
not have the capacity to generate wealth, create employment and
opportunities for the people.
We are going to fully mobilise and use the stick approach against the
criminals now. Yes, those people are terrorising our people again, but
it is going to be temporary. Very soon they will see the wrath of the
law.
Would you say the amnesty programme has failed?
It has not failed. It succeeded. In fact, we have received several
commendations. Other states in Nigeria had to copy what we did. You can
imagine the magnitude of the criminality that would have been going on
if those weapons were not recovered from the youths. In spite of the
fact that some of them are going back to their old ways, majority of
them are on track and they are doing well. So it has not failed. If not
for the amnesty, Benue State would have been an abandoned state; people
would not have been coming here. Even you that came from Abuja would
have been scared.
Why did you declare Fridays work-free for civil servants in Benue State?
Part of it is to make sure that we maintain our integrity as the food
basket of the nation. In addition, we looked at the economic situation
of the state and the fact that salaries are not coming as at when due
and decided to let the civil servants go back to their farms in this
cropping period. Between now and the end of July, whatever they are able
to do will add value. Even if you do not have the transport fare to go
to your village, find something to do in your backyard. Whatever you are
able to do will add value to the development of agriculture in the
state and increase your value within your family. So, apart from
maintaining our integrity as the food basket of the nation, we think
this would add value to our civil servants.
Do you think the civil servants are actually utilising this opportunity for its intended purpose?
When you make a policy like that you don’t expect 100 per cent
compliance, but I am aware that more than 60 per cent of the people are
taking advantage of the opportunity, and they are happy about it. Not
everybody will be happy and willing to do that, but we have no option
than to go back to farming.
Talking about the poor finances of the state, you set up a
judicial commission which disclosed that N107 billion needed to be
retrieved from 52 persons in the last administration. How much have you
recovered so far?
Just last Wednesday, one of the people indicted over N355 million wrote
to us that he was willing to return the money. To him, he was sincere,
he was doing genuine business, he had no intention to defraud, but since
it has come to this, he offered to return the money. Since it was a
State Executive Council decision, I had to take it to them. And they
approved that he should return the money. We are about to receive N355
million from him.
We are urging the other people to also do so. But out of the 52 persons,
some have vowed that they would use the money they have to fight this
government. That is why you see them peddling all kinds of lies. If a
government has ever been transparent in the history of this state, it is
my government. We sit with labour unions and disburse the money.
Everything is open. Anybody who wants to know how monies are spent in
Benue State is free and can have access to this information. At the end
of this year, we are working towards making the auditor-general publish
our accounts for scrutiny. We are not afraid of anything. We are also
going to undertake independent prosecution, apart from the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices
Commission (ICPC), which we have reported this matter to. The
attorney-general is already working on that. We believe that at the end
we would be able to recover this money so that we can use it for the
development of the state.
You were quoted as saying that you were not interested in
prosecution, and that the executive would exonerate anyone who returned
the money. Does this not contradict what you just said about independent
prosecution of those indicted?
Even from the beginning, I asked those people to return the money. That
was my appeal to them. If they had done that, I wouldn’t have written
to the EFCC or the ICPC, or even gone into prosecution. All I wanted was
our money coming back to the state. But that does not stop the EFCC or
the ICPC from doing their work. It is their constitutional and statutory
responsibility and I am not going into that. As far as we are
concerned, we want this money for the development of the state. If we
have our money, we are okay and if other agencies of government are
dissatisfied, they have their constitutional role to play; I am not
interfering.
Your predecessor is the principal person indicted in that report; have you made efforts to recover the money from him?
He has not returned the money. Rather, he has gone to town telling
everybody that he would use the money to fight me. I have told him to
return this money, but he has insisted that he will not. If he had
returned it we would have no issue with him.
Well, I’m going to prosecute him as I said. I have sent the commission’s
report and white paper to the EFCC and the ICPC, and I am doing
independent prosecution on other new revelations on how the state was
looted.
Some members of the Benue State House of Assembly were recently arrested and taken to the EFCC. What is the update on that?
Well, they are under investigation; there is no doubt about that. But
mind you, this is just an investigation. At the end, the EFCC will come
out with a position. For us, due process was followed. I believe that
they will also explain to the EFCC what transpired. A petition was
written against them and the normal thing is for the EFCC to
investigate. But from what I have gathered, the investigation is not yet
concluded, so I cannot pre-empt the position of the EFCC.
You recently embarked on town hall meetings across the state, what were the highlights?
It was a wonderful initiative. It was appreciated. The people told me
that it was the first time a governor was coming out to interact with
them. They also appreciated what we have been able to do within one year
in office. They told us to step up our publicity because they were
completely ignorant of the activities of the government. The people were
made to believe a lot of falsehood, but we were there with facts and we
showed them. They commended us and said we should keep the flag flying.
They, however, lamented the issue of insecurity and non-payment of
salaries, saying I should do everything possible to pay salaries. This
was a good advice which was well taken and appreciated. The people
recommended that the town hall meetings should be held every year.
You just dissolved the caretaker committees of the 23 local
government areas of the state. When are you likely to hold an election?
We had planned to constitute the Benue State Independent Electoral
Commission (BSIEC), but unfortunately, they brought a budget of N1.5
billion. When I asked them to scale it down, they brought it to N860
million. Unfortunately, there’s no money to even pay salaries and do
other critical things. I told them that I would have loved to do the
election but there’s no money, so they had to put it off. But as soon as
we have resources, I would want our local government election to be
conducted.
Meanwhile, we dissolved the caretaker committees because their tenure
ended and the law establishing local governments allows them to hand
over to directors-general, services and administration; and that is what
we have done. I am discussing with the State House of Assembly on what
will happen next after the three months stipulated by the law expires
and we are not able to conduct elections. We will discuss and know the
way forward.
