George Okoh in Makurdi
Former Benue State governor, Samuel Ortom, has rejected the report of the Benue State Income and Expenditure Commission of Inquiry, describing the exercise as a politically motivated witch-hunt orchestrated by the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
In a statement by his media aide, Zege Terhide, Ortom said the commission’s report was “fundamentally flawed, legally challenged and politically motivated.
“What the people of Benue witnessed was not an exercise in accountability. It was the culmination of a carefully scripted political witch-hunt designed from the outset to indict the government of Chief Samuel Ortom at all costs,” the statement read.
The former governor’s reaction came a day after the commission submitted its report to the Benue state government in Makurdi.
The eight-member panel, chaired by retired Justice Jubril Idrisu, was inaugurated by Governor Alia in June 2025 to investigate the income and expenditure of the immediate past administration and the 23 local government councils between May 29, 2015, and May 28, 2023.
Presenting the report on Friday, Justice Idrisu said the commission reviewed financial records and conducted public hearings involving former government officials and institutions.
According to him, the commission’s findings revealed that the state generated over N826.5billion during the period under review, while expenditure stood at about N683.4billion, leaving an unaccounted balance of approximately N139.8 billion.
Receiving the report on behalf of Governor Alia, Deputy Governor Sam Ode said the administration remained committed to transparency, accountability and institutional reforms.
The deputy governor expressed confidence that implementing the commission’s recommendations would strengthen institutions, discourage the mismanagement of public funds and ensure accountability.
However, Ortom maintained that the legitimacy of the probe remained the subject of ongoing litigation.
According to his statement, earlier panels established by the Alia administration to investigate his government were challenged in court and subsequently dissolved before a new commission was constituted.
He noted that there was a pending appeal challenging the legality of the inquiry, with a hearing scheduled at the Court of Appeal on June 29, 2026.