National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Ex-Governor Samuel Ortom and his advisors will be questioned five weeks after the establishment of two judicial committees of inquiry to investigate his actions while in office.
Recall that on February 26, 2024, the state governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, established two judicial commissions of investigation to investigate the actions of Ortom, his predecessor.
The two newly established investigative panels are the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Sale or Lease of Government Assets, Companies, and Markets (including state and local government-owned markets) as well as moribund companies from or before May 28, 2015, to May 28, 2023. The first panel looks into the income and expenditure of the Benue State government from May 29, 2015, to May 28, 2023.
The 16 members of the two inquiry commissions are led by retired judges from the south-west and north-east, respectively. Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the South-West will lead the first panel, while Justice Appolos Idi (retd) of Gombe, North-East, will chair the second.
Reassuring the locals on Monday, state Commissioner for Justice and Public Order Fidelis Mnyim said the panels will start meeting the following week and ruled out any potential roadblocks to the panel’s work.
“There are no obstacles at all. The point is that the panels are waiting to begin sitting after Easter, so by next week, they will commence sitting,” he stated.
Through his media assistant, Terver Akase, the outgoing governor, Samuel Ortom, declared that he was prepared to face the panels and asked all of his assistants to get ready to appear before the two panels as well.
