APC lawmakers in Benue state house of Assembly serves impeachment notice to Governor Ortom over N22 billion fraud
Benue state House of Assembly has today served an impeachment notice to the state Governor, Samuel Ortom over N22 billion security fraud, signed by 10 members which is the minimum required by law to do so.
Speaker of the House, Terkimbi Ikyange who announced this after an emergency sitting of the Assembly today in Makurdi, also alleged the embezzlement of Local Government funds to the tune of 33 billion naira and purpoted cornering of State funds.
The House also accused the Governor of gross underperformance without reasonable projects to commission, announcing the suspension of 15 of its members over gross misconduct and violation of due process.
Recall that the All Progressives Congress (APC) questioned Governor Ortoms’ claim of spending N22 billion received from federal government on provision of security.
“Ortom’s argument is that he had diverted a lot of funds to security issues. The governor’s claim of spending so much on security in the state raises more questions,” Mr. Adams Osjiomhole, Chairman of APC, said on Friday.
The party expressed concern that though the governor claimed to have spent such huge money on security but the people were more insecure.
He said that the Benue governor when asked to defend himself following the accusations against him, could not give reasonable explanation.
It was also gathered that members of the state House of Assembly under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have also thrown their weight behind the impeachment of the Governor. According to sources, the impeachment would restore sanity in their party and cement their party leader, Ex-Governor Gabriel Suswam’s grip on the party structures in the state following Governor Ortom’s defection to the party.