Ex-Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has revealed that Governor Hyacinth Alia, his successor, terminated the official benefits and entitlements previously established by state law for former governors.
Ortom made the disclosure during an interview with Channels Television’s Political Paradigm, where he spoke about the entitlements attached to the office after leaving government.
According to Ortom, the benefits included the provision of a residence in Abuja or another location of his choice, as well as funding for annual medical examinations.
He said the provisions were contained in legislation passed by the Benue State House of Assembly but were no longer available to him under the current administration.
“He cancelled it. There is no financial entitlement,” Ortom said.
The former governor also disclosed that the monthly salary of a serving governor was below N600,000, adding that the amount was the same regardless of who occupied the office.
Ortom said he was also supposed to receive a house after leaving office but noted that he still lives in the Games Village area of Abuja.
He said he had lived in the residence since 2008, when he served as the national auditor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“Well, I was expected to be provided with a house. As you can see, I am staying here in my Games Village residence. Which former governor is living in the Games Village?” he said.
Ortom questioned why other former governors had allegedly benefited from the provisions while he remained in the same residence he occupied before becoming governor.
He added that several individuals had attempted to challenge his continued stay in the Games Village property since he moved there.
Ortom governed Benue State from 2015 to 2023 under the PDP before handing over to Alia, who won the governorship election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
What You Should Know
Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom revealed during a recent interview that his successor, Governor Hyacinth Alia, has scrapped the financial benefits and entitlements designated for former governors under state law. Ortom explained that these provisions included funding for annual medical checks and housing arrangements, which are no longer accessible to him. He also noted that despite expectations to be provided with an official residence, he still resides in the same Abuja home he occupied prior to becoming governor.
- Positive Impact: The cancellation of these lavish severance benefits could potentially free up state resources for other public projects and infrastructural development.
- Potential Concerns: The removal of legal entitlements for former officials highlights ongoing political friction and raises questions about the consistency of governance and statutory obligations in the state.
