EFCC detains former Benue Governor, Samuel Ortom

Samuel Ortom the immediate past governor of Benue State is being detained in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)

The EFCC invited Ortom to account for his stewardship and the former Governor drove to the Makurdi zonal office of the agency, which is located at Alor Gordon Street in the state capital and walked straight into the building at exactly at exactly 10:08am Tuesday morning.

Recall how Ortom handed over a debt profile of N187.7 billion to the administration of Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia.

Ortom at a brief ceremony held at the old banquet hall of Government House in Makurdi, told Alia that the handover notes in three volumes were a summary of his eight years of administration.

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The governor explained that the total income of the state during his eight years sojourn amounted to N734.9billion as at April 2023 while the total debt incurred by the state within the period stood at N187.7billion inclusive of unpaid salary, pension arrears, loans and bonds among others.

He also intimated his successor of a debt swap/reduction arrangement between the state and the Federal Government to the tune of N97.716 billion.

Ortom explained that with an expected inflow of N48billion, after discount, the negotiated debt swap would be reduced to N45.2billion, thereby bringing down the state’s total debt profile.

He further disclosed that his administration already secured an approval of N41 billion loan and N20 billion.