Benue Journalists Urge Gov Ortom To Prosecute Those Who Looted State Funds.

A group of media practitioners under the auspices of Association of Benue Journalists, ABJ, has commended efforts of Dr. Samuel Ortom-led state government to recover N130 billion allegedly pilfered by former administration of Gabriel Suswam.

The group, through a statement issued in Abuja yesterday by its National Chairman, Emmanuel Iffer, described as unfortunate the alleged pilfering of the state’s resources, and urged the Benue government to begin prosecution of those involved.


The group commended Ortom for his “efforts in the last three months to revive the economy of the state” but regretted “that the panel set up by the government of Ortom to probe Suswam would have to wait six long months to conclude investigations before acting on its findings.” 


The group urged “the Ortom administration to abridge the duration of enquiry to three months in view of the urgency to restore Benue to the path of development.”

According to the group, “the enquiry should, however, not be a witch-hunt, shadow-boxing or another exercise to waste the meagre resources of the state.” 


It further regretted that Benue at 39 years since creation was still grappling with the basics of development unlike “younger” states like Delta, Gombe and Katsina that are rated high in infrastructure development. 


The group also called on Ortom to make haste and revive the Benue Burnt Bricks Factory, Benue Hotels, Taraku Mills and several other moribund factories in order to tackle the growing number of unemployed people in the state.

It also urged the government to consider setting up more factories and adopting aggressive plan to industrialise the state. 


The Ortom government had few days ago set up a panel to probe the financial transactions of his predecessor. The panel is expected to carry out its assignment in six months.