By Kamil Opeyemi
Some security men, accompanied by members of the state assets recovery panel set up by Governor Hyacinh Alia of Benue state have stormed an automobile workshop owned by former Governor of the state, Samuel Ortom towing away some vehicles. The new government had insisted on recovering some vehicles allegedly belonging to the government which were taken away by the former governor and his deputy. NPO Reports gathered that some officials of the panel had initially visited the workshop to drive away some cars but were resisted. This was what led to the panel sending towing vehicles to take some of the vehicles on Tuesday. the Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party, Bemgba Iortyom, confirmed that indeed state agents went to Ortom’s automobile workshop. Iortyom said, “Governor Alia has now sent towing trucks to ex-Governor Ortom’s automobile workshop to cart away vehicles, after attempts to drive them away failed.” Ortom and his deputy, Benson Abounu, secured a court order restraining the asset recovery committee from coming after them.
In the suit, marked MHC/199/2023, filed through their lawyer, Douglas Pepe (SAN), Ortom and Abounu asked the court to determine “whether property legitimately allocated to them as entitlements and remuneration can be considered as state government assets.”
They are seeking “a determination of court whether or not by the combined effect of sections 5(2), 44, 318(1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), the executive actions and decisions of the Governor and Government of Benue State taken by Ortom and Abounu and the State Executive Council, in good faith before May 29th, 2023, were valid.”
The ex-governor and his deputy also want the court to determine “whether or not the Governor of Benue State is not bound by the constitutional approvals made by his predecessor.”
They are contending that the asset recovery committee set up by Alia has no power to interfere with their rights to own property “vested in them by the Benue State Government at all material times or without following due process.”