“TAKE ME TO COURT, NOT THE MEDIA” — ORTOM FIRES BACK AT ALIA OVER ₦139.8BN ALLEGATION.(PHOTO).

 “TAKE ME TO COURT, NOT THE MEDIA” — ORTOM FIRES BACK AT ALIA OVER ₦139.8BN ALLEGATION.

Former Governor Samuel Ortom has challenged Governor Hyacinth Alia to a public debate over allegations that his administration misappropriated ₦139.8 billion, insisting all records remain available for scrutiny.

Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom addressing journalists during an interaction in Makurdi where he challenged Governor Hyacinth Alia to a public debate over allegations of financial misappropriation.

Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom addressing journalists during an interaction in Makurdi where he challenged Governor Hyacinth Alia to a public debate over allegations of financial misappropriation. | Credit: Photo: Samuel Ortom Media Office

MAKURDI, Benue State — Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has challenged Governor Hyacinth Alia to a public debate over allegations that his administration misappropriated ₦139.8 billion while in office.

Speaking during a meeting with members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Makurdi on Tuesday, Ortom rejected the allegations and maintained that his administration operated transparently throughout its eight-year tenure.

Former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has publicly challenged Governor Hyacinth Alia to an open debate over allegations that his administration misappropriated ₦139.8 billion during its time in office.

Ortom issued the challenge while hosting members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists at his residence in Makurdi.

The former governor stated that all government accounts under his administration underwent annual audits and that audit reports were published in national newspapers. According to him, a comprehensive audit report covering his administration was later approved by the Benue State House of Assembly and gazetted in accordance with legal requirements.

He argued that the records remain available for review by relevant authorities and maintained that the allegations being circulated against him are unsupported.

“If Governor Alia is confident in the report he has been circulating, he should be prepared to present the facts and figures in a public debate where both sides can present their records for the people to judge,” Ortom said.

The former governor described the allegation of ₦139.8 billion misappropriation as unfounded and accused the current administration of engaging in a political campaign aimed at damaging his reputation.

He further argued that any credible allegation of financial misconduct should be tested through the judicial process rather than through public statements.

“The proper place to determine such allegations is a court of law, not media trials,” he stated.

Ortom also raised questions about the management of state finances under the current administration. He claimed that the Alia government has received approximately ₦1.3 trillion in revenue since assuming office, a figure he said exceeds the resources available to his administration during its eight years in office.

The former governor expressed concern over reports of outstanding salary arrears, pensions, and gratuities despite increased revenue inflows. He also called on the current administration to provide updates on key campaign promises, including salary payments, pension settlements, and the resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The exchange represents the latest episode in the growing political rivalry between the current and former administrations in Benue State, with both sides advancing competing narratives on governance, accountability, and public finance management.