Ortom accepts court injunction on Suswam’s probe

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state yesterday said he has accepted the ruling of the Makurdi High Court which ordered stay of proceedings on the panel probing the immediate past administration.
Chief Judge of the state, Justice Iorhemen Hwande, had on Monday granted an injunction restraining the state government established commission of inquiry from probing the Governor Gabriel Suswam’s administration.
Ortom said the stay was a temporary judicial process and that the state government’s lawyers would follow due process to vacate it.
He reiterated his commitment to due process and the rule of law.
The governor said he set up the judicial panel to avail all concerned the opportunity to defend themselves in accordance with the core values of his administration which include transparency, fairness, accountability and justice.
Commenting on calls by some individuals and groups that he should have extended the probe panels to cover the Senator George Akume administration, Ortom said he did not take over from the senator.
He added that the people who voted for him specifically demanded that he should probe the administration of Suswam to know why the state was ‘‘brought to its knees’’, so that his administration would avoid pitfalls and learn lessons.