“Alia Can’t Probe Me”: Ortom Reacts As Benue Governor Drags Him to Court, Spills Fact

• The former governor of Benue state has lambasted his successor for initiating a lawsuit against his government
• Samuel Ortom maintained that Governor Alia could not probe him because the state's auditor general had already investigated his administration
• Legit.ng reported that the court in Makurdi earlier halted Governor Hyacinth Alia's commission of inquiry from probing Ortom

Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The immediate past governor of Benue state, Samuel Ortom, has reacted to a recent lawsuit filed against his administration.

Ortom noted that since he has been probed by the auditor general of the state and the outcome has been published in several gazettes, he sees no reason for his predecessor, Governor Hyacinth Alia's administration, to do the same again.

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The ex-governor made this assertion while reacting to an ex-parte motion filed at the Makurdi high court presided over by Justice T. Asua, Vanguard reported on Friday, May 31.

Court stops Alia from probing Ortom

Recall that a Benue state high court in Makurdi on Wednesday, May 29, restrained the commission of inquiry established by Governor Alia from investigating Ortom.

The court ruled that the investigation must be paused until the resolution of a lawsuit filed by Ortom challenging the probe of his administration.

This came after Governor Hyacinth Alia initiated two judicial commissions of inquiry in February to examine the Benue state government's funds (income and expenditure) from May 29, 2015, to May 28, 2023, during Ortom's tenure.

However, counsel to Chief Ortom, Oba Maduabuchi, a Senior Advocate, told the court that the grounds of the application were that:

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"The auditor general is imbued with powers under the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to investigate and probe the finances of the state.”

He added that “the motion on notice shall be entered for hearing within 14 days after the grant of leave, pursuant to Order 40, Rule 5(4) of the Rules of the Court.”

Gov Alia warns Ortom, other former governors

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Governor Alia warned Samuel Ortom and others that he would not allow anyone to destabilise his government.

Alia warned his predecessors to refrain from interfering in his administration, stating that they had their tenure.

The Catholic priest-turned-politician said former governors who have nothing to offer Benue state should just shut up. He stated this while reacting to Ortom’s advice to sheath his sword against the secretary to the government of the federation.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng