In a statement issued on Sunday, June 22, by his former Chief Press Secretary, Terver Akase, Ortom said the constant references to his name have become a tired excuse that won’t bring peace to Benue.
“The obsession with Ortom’s name will not stop the killings,” Akase said, reacting to comments made by Governor Alia that accused the former administration of leaving over four million people displaced.
Governor Alia had, through his spokesperson Tersoo Kula, claimed, “Under Ortom’s watch, Benue State recorded the highest number of IDPs in its history, with over four million people displaced from their ancestral homes. This figure underscores the failure of reactive rhetoric without strategic support for security architecture.”
But Ortom’s camp insists the claim is false and misleading. “At no time did Chief Ortom claim there were four million IDPs.
