...promises to cooperate with panel

By Peter Duru, Makurdi

Former Governor of Benue State, Chief Samuel Ortom has welcomed the probe of his administration and expressed his willingness to cooperate with the panels set up by the Governor Hyacinth Alia-led administration for that purpose.

Recall that Governor Alia, Monday night, inaugurated two probe panels, the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Income and Expenditure of Benue State Government from May 29, 2015, to May 28, 2023 and the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the sale/lease of government assets, companies and markets (both State and Local Government owned markets), as well as moribund companies from or before May 28, 2015 to May 28th, 2023, to investigate the last administration in the state.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo (retd.) heads the panel on Income and Expenditure while Justice Apollos Idi (retd.) Chairs the panel on Sale/lease of Government Assets, Companies and Markets.

Reacting Tuesday on the setting up of the panels, Chief Ortom in a statement by his Media Aide, Terver Akase welcomed the coming of the panels and expressed his willingness to cooperate with the probe panels “as long as the investigation is carried out in line with the law.”

He stressed that his administration was “built on transparency, accountability, and good governance. And emphasizes his readiness to provide any information or clarification, as may be required.

“Chief Ortom urges his former appointees to equally make themselves available whenever called upon to provide clarifications.”