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•Raid on ex-gov private business witch-hunt taken too far –PDP
From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Asset Recovery Committee (ARC) set up by the Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has stormed one of the property belonging to the immediate past governor, Samuel Ortom and carted away exotic cars.
Governor Alia, in June 2023, set up a committee, headed by Hingah Biem to, among other things, ascertain all assets of the government, including lands, vehicles, houses, furniture and other machinery, with a view to recovering them.
Daily Sun gathered that the committee, yesterday, stormed the former governor’s automobile workshop located on Makurdi/Otukpo road where they took away the vehicles.
Speaking toDaily Sun, Chairman of the committee, Hingah Biem, confirmed the operation but could not confirm the number of vehicles recovered so far.
“I don’t know if that is his workshop but that is true. The operation is still ongoing as you speak to me and I can’t say how many vehicles have been recovered so far. If you don’t have keys to the car what options do you have? You can only tow it.
“Once you don’t have the keys, you suspected that it is cars that belong to government, you have to move it somehow. The person in charge did not provide the keys, it was someone who said he was the mechanic that was there.
“We had information that some of the government vehicles were parked in the premises and we got a warrant to visit and some of them we are being defaced, being repainted so that the original appearance will be lost.
“We had to move in quickly to look at the place and to see that those we suspect to be government vehicles are moved out. So, if anybody has proved that they are not government vehicles then the person would have to present it.”
Biem, who noted that the committee is also writing to other government officials they are investigating, cautioned everyone that has taken government property to return them or face the consequences.
“We are writing to some of the government officials and our advice is that if you have taken any government vehicle away or any property of government, return it. For those who bought certain immovable assets, we will reach them because some of the sales were are not properly done and some of the so-called waivers we are not done in good faith and we have to discountenance those ones and make sure we return all government property that we are able to lay our hands upon back to the government,” Biem said.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the raid as a witch-hunt taken too far.
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, it said it is “appalled at the naked showing of tyranny and vendetta by Governor Alia against his predecessor, Ortom.
“Earlier today, thugs accompanied by security agents purporting to be on an assets recovery mission, raided a private automobile workshop owned by the former governor’s business concern, Oracle Nig. Ltd., carting away motor vehicles at the premises of the workshop.
“Staff of the workshop have confirmed to PDP that the vehicles, of a yet-to-be ascertained number, were those brought there for repairs by private owners and are not in any wise from any public source.
“PDP notes that this is yet another manifestation of disregard for the rule of law by the Benue State governor, considering there is a subsisting court order barring his government from tampering with the assets of the former governor, specifically motor vehicles.
“It is the party’s further observation that while the governor is completely disconnected from the security and good governance of the state, he has devoted all of his time and energies to pursuing a witch-hunt against his predecessor,” PDP said in the statement.
The party admonished Governor Alia to retrace his steps from the time-consuming pursuit of vendetta against Ortom and focus on delivering on his campaign promises to the people.
While reminding the governor of his promises to return internally displaced persons to their homes and clear salary and pensions arrears to workers in his first 100 days in office, the PDP noted that he is yet to take a single step towards fulfilling those promises after close to two months in office.
