The Benue State Government has set up a committee to recover all government properties allegedly looted by the immediate-past government, the PUNCH reports.
Recall that Governor Hyacinth Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, had a few days ago decried the alleged looting of government vehicles by the immediate-past government headed by Samuel Ortom.
Tersoo had said, “The PDP looted Government House to a point that the new government under governor Hyacinth Alia, met no single car or truck in Government House. The governor’s visits to agencies and parastatals have uncovered the highest level of rot ever witnessed in the history of Benue State.”
Though former Special Adviser to the immediate past governor, Terver Akase, in his response, stated that the State Executive Council of the past administration granted waiver to government officials to go with their official vehicles.
Akase had said, “On the issue of vehicles, the present administration may wish to be informed that it was the decision of the Benue State Executive Council that government officials, including the governor and his deputy, be given waivers to enable them to go with the official vehicles allocated to them.
“Governor Ortom, therefore, did nothing unlawful by leaving office with the official vehicles allocated to him.”
But a statement on Sunday by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Tersoo Kula, said that the governor had inaugurated an assets recovery committee both at state and local government levels.
The statement read in parts, “Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia, has inaugurated two assets recovery committees. One is to work at the state level, while the other at the local government level.
“The committee members are, among other things, mandated to ascertain all assets of the government, including lands, vehicles, houses, furniture and other machinery.”
According to the statement, representatives of security agents were to be deployed in the recovery mission.
“Both committees will have able representatives from Department of State Services, police, military and Nigeria Civil Defence Corps,” the statement read.
In the same vein, the governor also inaugurated a fact-finding committee for the Benue State University.
The committee has as its chairman Paul Biam, while the members are Jacob Ajene, Terkimbi Ikyange, Prof. Eugene Alyegbe and Agbo Ochekpe.
