Alleged nomination of Ortom for minister fake – Media aide

A media aide to the former Governor of Benue State, Terver Akase, has disowned viral speculation on social media that his principal, Dr Samuel Ortom, has been nominated for a ministerial appointment.

Akase, in a statement on Friday, said, “The attention of the immediate past Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has been drawn to the speculation on social media that he has been nominated for a ministerial appointment.

“We urge members of the public to disregard the report as it is false and misleading.”

Ortom’s media aide however appreciated those who took time to call and verify the information.

• Speaker Abbas calls for renewed efforts on climate action
• Nothing wrong having 500 varsities in next 2 years – Prof Rasheed

In another development, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) Publicity Secretary in Benue State, Bemgba Iortyom, has described the take-off of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration as the worst take-off in office since the return to civil governance to the country in 1999.

Comparing him with predecessors, he said the governor has only a half-hearted attempt at the payment of wages to workers which, however, “excluded the entire local government workers, staff of the Benue State University (BSU), primary school teachers and staff under Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) as well as secondary school teachers and staff under the Teaching Service Board (TSB).”

“What this means is that roughly about 70 percent of the workforce of the state went unpaid from the governor’s much-hyped gesture which is even unclear from which source he funded the exercise that has since been dismissed as a mere popularity stunt,” he said.