Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom has spoken out about his alleged involvement in illegal award of contracts to favour his personal interests.
Governor Samuel Ortom
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has distanced himself from documents sent to some newspapers and other platforms claiming that he (Ortom) gave contracts to a company, in which he has vested interests.
Daily Post reports that the governor said the documents were forged by his political rivals just to tarnish his image.
In a statement signed by the special adviser to the governor on media and ICT, Tahav Agerzua, yesterday, he said the letters and the signatures on them were forged as part of an organized smear campaign deliberately calculated to portray Governor Ortom as corrupt.
“The campaign is at best an indication that corruption, which the Governor detests and has stood against, is attempting to fight back in accordance with its well-known character.
“The sponsor of the said advertorial signed as Chief Linus Ochejile of the New Benue Proactive, No. 14 Ankpa Road Makurdi, Benue State.
“Checks at the address revealed that neither the signatory nor the group existed.
“The checks also indicated that the company which the advertorial claimed to have benefitted from the contracts, Oracle Business Limited, never wrote at any time requesting for contracts to renovate the Government House and supply tricycles”, it stated.