Aviation Parastatals Don't Pay Money To Me-Chief Samuel Ortom.

Two days ago we posted a report we got from some National dailies that another crisis has rocked the Aviation sector,the whistleblower in that petition said Hon Ortom collects N5m from some Aviation parastatals.Well the Hon Minister has responded to that allegation which he describes as malicious and false.Please read his defense.

My attention has been drawn to reports in some national newspapers that there is another crisis rocking the Aviation Ministry as some parastatals in the ministry are being compelled to make monthly payments to me for the funding of my governorship campaigns in Benue State.

Two of such reports appeared on page three of The Peoples Daily and page 35 of Leadership newspapers of Monday, 9th June, 2014.

It has also come to my knowledge that the masterminds of this deliberate campaign of mischief blackmail and calumny have also syndicated the spurious reports to several other newspapers, magazines, as well as the social and electronic media.

Their plan is to run me down in the media and other platforms throughout June and the next few months of this year.

By the grace of God and the discerning Nigerian public they will surely fail.A cursory look at the reports indicate that they have also failed the most elementary test that he who alleges must also prove as no proof of the allegation has been made and can never ever be made because such a thing never happened.The fact that the reports lack any semblance of a genuine investigative work but are being pushed into the media indicates that unseen sinister hands are at work.

I state categorically that no parastatal or agency under the Aviation Ministry or any official under any of them has been tasked or is being tasked to remit any money and has ever made monthly or any payments to me to fund my campaign.

I challenge any one with proof of such to step forward and publish for the general public.Another aspect of the reports that is untenable is the claim that the chair of the House committee "questioned the secrecy surrounding what it termed the huge debt incurred by the Ministry of Aviation."It was the report that I submitted to the Senate and House committees during their oversight function to the ministry that brought out a profile of the total commitments of the Aviation Ministry over time. 

The commitments of over N174 billion was not any "discovery" other than the submission made by the ministry to the committees.With regard to my governorship ambition it has been a long standing clamor and aspiration of the people of Benue State that is anchored on faith in the Almighty God.

As this dream which dates back to over 20 years gathers momentum so does the desperation of those opposed to it's realization hence the resort to unjustified, unwarranted and unprovable campaigns of mischief, blackmail and sleaze against my person.

I am a grassroots politician who has passed through the crucible of service from the local, state, to the national levels and my support is derived from all these levels across the political divides.I am currently consulting and at the appropriate time I will make a declaration.

But like I keep saying I am not desperate to become governor even as I offer myself for service.Ultimately power belongs to God and He gives it to whosoever he wills.If He could lift me from being a motor park tout in Gboko through various leadership positions to the present level nothing can be too hard for him.There is absolutely no need for me to resort to unethical means to raise funds for any project for which God gives me the go-ahead.Signed:
Chief Dr. Samuel Ortom,Hon Minister, Industry, Trade and Investment and Supervising Aviation Minister.10th June, 2014.