By David Mzer
It was interesting to read, for the first time, from a group which calls itself ‘Assembly of Benue Youths for Justice and Good Governance’ as published in Nigerian Pilot and The Nation of Tuesday, October 27, 2015. While not bothering to ask where the group had been all through the years until now, it is pertinent to correct the misrepresentations contained in the publication.
The ‘Assembly of Benue Youths’ spent a lot of space defending and trying to shield the immediate past governor of Benue State, Dr Gabriel Suswam from probe. While this is the constitutional and fundamental right of the group, a simple question to former governor Dr Suswam on why he failed to probe his predecessor, Senator George Akume would have saved the youth group the time and stress.
Former Governor Gabriel Suswam is the right person to answer the question. Why did he not probe his predecessor George Akume?
We are hopeful that the ‘Assembly of Benue Youths for Justice and Good Governance’ would write to Dr Suswam asking him to explaining why he did not set up Judicial Commissions of Inquiry into the administration of Dr George Akume, despite receiving handover notes from the former Governor, now a senator.
Suswam’s response will also answer most of the subsequent questions raised by the group as contained in their write-up.
One expects the ‘Assembly of Benue Youths’ to also question the contradiction in Dr Suswam’s claim published in Leadership newspaper of 21st October, 2014 in which the former governor categorically denied that the state shares in Dangote Cement had been sold.
The youths should compare Dr Suswam’s published statement denying the sale of the shares with the recent testimony at the Justice Elizabeth Kpojime Judicial Commission of Inquiry by the Managing Director of Benue Investment and Property Company, BIPC, Mrs Bridget Sheidu who revealed how the shares were sold at over N8 billion.
This, according to the testimony was only part of N60 billion worth of Benue shares in different companies sold by the same administration. That nothing from the shares sale proceeds was remitted to the state treasury should worry our youths.
The youths should wonder why Dr Suswam publicly denied the sale of the state shares in Dangote Cement only to be contradicted a few months later by the MD of BIPC who was in charge of the investment agency when the transactions were made.
Such revelations should interest the leaders of tomorrow and prompt their sense of inquisitiveness. The development should interest our youths for it affects their future – the future of their dear state.
This is the correct position and I expect our dear youth group to believe these facts and refuse to be misled by others. This government has promised to be transparent and sincere in all its dealings with the people and it is committed to protecting the trust the people have in it.
The ‘Assembly of Benue Youths for Justice and Good Governance’ is absolutely right to say that Governor Ortom has pledged to govern with transparency, justice and fairness to all. The Governor has not only pledged to serve in accordance with the above mentioned core values, he has already swung into action to ensure that Benue people are fully informed about government actions and programmes especially as such actions affect the handling of the state finances.
For purposes of putting the records straight there is need to respond point by point to the issues raised.
1. On allegations of probe panels’ bias:
The “Assembly” should note that Justice Elizabeth, not Magaret, Kpojime is Chairman of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into accruals and disbursement from June 2007 to May 29 2015.
For purposes of emphasis both probe panels’ conduct proceedings publicly in full public glare.
The claim by the group that “since the committee started sitting, it has become very clear to all discerning minds that these committees are put in place to pursue a political agenda – the persecution of former Governor Suswam and those who served in his administration,” is as baseless as it is unsubstantiated. Yes, Barrister Joe Abaagu, Barrister Moses Atagher and other members of the panel maybe members of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
But they are first of all Benue citizens and professionals who are acquainted with the basic tenet of fair hearing that is germane to a Commission of Inquiry. No one with a clear conscience therefore, needs to have reservations about appearing before these panels.
Moreover, one of them is Judicial with the full implication thereof. However in spite of all these if anyone’s right is infringed in the course of any of the panels work such a person is free to seek redress.
Governor Gabriel Suswam as a lawyer ought to know his rights and legal procedures and as such he needed to canvas such within the ambit of the judicial process not necessarily on the pages of the newspapers and other media platform.
2. Governor Ortom, Barrister Takema and Agerzua’s comments on sending Suswam to jail:
At no time have these three officials mentioned that the Ortom administration had the intention of sending the former governor to jail. It is instructive that no evidence, not even a mention of the fora at which these officials had spoken of their intention to send Dr. Suswam to jail was listed in the write-up which at best is as speculative in this aspect as in all the others.
3. On Sale of equities, multiple loans for Taraku Mills Limited, sale of government quarters and other landed property, diversion of funds for Idye Flood Control Project, Benue Plastics Industry and Makurdi International Hotel:
The allegations with regard to the above covered the administration of Governor George Akume who handed over to Governor Suswam.
As stated earlier, it therefore behoves Governor Akume’s successor to explain to the people of the state why he saw the wrongs in these places and yet kept quiet. Moreover, the people who elected Governor Ortom are the ones who requested to know why and how their state had been brought to her knees.
For those who have sought to know why the Ortom administration has not extended the probes to cover the period between 1999 and 2007, the answer is simple. According to Governor Ortom “We did not receive the handover notes of Senator Dr. George Akume’s administration. What we received were the handover notes of Dr. Gabriel Suswam’s administration. We are therefore, not privy to the handover notes of 1999-2007 and as such are not in a position to scrutinize them.” He made the clarification at the Benue Stakeholders forum held on Friday 16th of october 2015.
4. Government’s borrowing spree:
It is unfortunate that those who rise to the support of Governor Suswam and his administration which created the quagmire in which the state has presently found itselftoday would turn round to question efforts to solve the problems they had created.
Those conversant with the history of the state know so well that no administration had ever inherited a deficit treasury which Governor Ortom met on assumption of office. Curiously, and perhaps out of ignorance they ask why there has been a resort to some loans at the moment.
The situation on ground in June when Governor Ortom assumed duty was that the N1.6bn allocation for May 2015 had been swallowed by the N1.9bn revolving bank facility which the Suswam administration had procured. Other bank loans and financial commitments also obliterated the state’a income from the Federation account hence it became imperative to borrow N10bn for payment of May and June salaries as well as for takeoff of government.
On the loans so far taken by the present administration, the youths again got their records wrong. The Ortom administration has not borrowed N43 billion. It borrowed N10 billion to pay two months’ salaries and overheads for Ministries, Departments and Agencies and later accessed the bailout funds of N28 billion which put the total at N38 billion.
The N5.5 billion facility which the State House of Assembly approved for payment of counterpart funds has not yet been accessed.
But this also was necessitated by the need to retain the development partners who were leaving the state in droves on account of the failure of the state government to meet its counterpart funding responsibilities.
Those who are informed know that the payment of counterpart funds attracts inflow of at least a matching grant which adds value on several sectors of the economy.
The N28bn bailout is a Federal Government’s initiative arising from the APC led government’s policy to stabilize the economies of the states by meeting financial obligations to workers.
How can someone in his right senses question the Ortom administration’s acceptance of such a facility? Perhaps only those who had supported an administration that had neither regard nor respect for human life for eight years.
Those who voted Ortom into office appreciate his predicament which has been brought about by his predecessor’s profligacy and therefore support him to take whatever palliative measures in collaboration with the Federal Government and other states.
Those who voted for change know that Governor Ortom is not on a borrowing spree but is responding to a situation created by his predecessor.
5. Amnesty program and insecurity:
As the youth group rightly observed, the amnesty program initiated by the Ortom administration has recorded huge successes and is still counting. But it is an erroneous statement by the group that the program was targeted only at PDP youths. Curiously, is the youth group suggesting that those who have embraced the amnesty program were sponsored by the PDP to terrorize the state? May it be noted once more that the amnesty program was introduced for all persons who had carried illegal arms in Benue State.
It was not meant for one group of people, one section of the state or one political party. The decision to embrace or reject the offer also rested entirely on the concerned individuals and groups. No one was compelled to surrender weapons.
But one thing must be reiterated. Now that the grace period is over, the government of Benue will show no mercy to anyone who carries illegal arms.
As Governor Samuel Ortom stated clearly recently, now is the time to apply the stick approach. The carrot approach has been utilised to its maximum length.
Yet it is an irony and a contradiction for someone to complain that the amnesty program has been targeted for illegal arm possessors in the Benue North East zone and at the same time state that political chieftains of the PDP were killed in large numbers in the same area.
Although the write-up did not acknowledge the death of several APC supporters including a former member of the Benue House of Assembly, the late Douglas Begha, the Ortom administration believes that the death of even one Benue indigene is regrettable and unacceptable hence the need to secure all lives and property in the state. This would create the enabling environment for peace as well as encourage investment, commercial and trading activities that would generate massive jobs, wealth and opportunities for the people of the state.
CONCLUSION:
The real questions that Benue people, not just youths, are asking at the moment is “Suswam, when will you return the funds you looted to the treasury?” From preliminary investigations it has been revealed that proceeds from the sale of state government equities, as well as bonds, and loans were channeled to private accounts and not government coffers.
No wonder the rot in the state has been deep and unprecedented. It is therefore, not surprising that Dr. Suswam who has been unsettled by this development has been running from pillar to post to evade the rendering of an account through the judicial process. Yet the most rational thing for him to do is to repent and make restitution.
Youths who care for their future are daily demanding that Suswam, bring back the stolen money. Otherwise the options available to the Ortom administration include the compilation of all the records of the plunder including decisions of the panel for eventual submission to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission, as well as direct legal action
Mr Mzer is a Makurdi-based public affairs commentator.
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