The All Progressives Congress in Benue State has accused Governor Samuel Ortom administration of setting a booby trap for the coming administration to slow down its take off.
The party, in a statement on Tuesday by its Publicity Secretary, Daniel Ihomou, alleged that Ortom had concluded plans to appoint his cronies as new permanent secretaries and give undue promotion to selected individuals of interest in the state civil service.
The APC alleged that the planned promotion by the outgoing administration was a booby trap to constitute impediments for the incoming administration of the Governor-elect, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia.
But Ortom, through his media aide, Terver Akase, described the claim by the APC as baseless, saying the party was only giving advance excuse for its impending failure in governance.
The APC, while raising the alarm, described the alleged undue promotion by Ortom as ‘Greek gifts.’
The party said, “These selected individuals have been tools in the hands of the failed Ortom-led government, constituting themselves into a cartel that has robbed Benue civil servants, pensioners and the state at large of the dividends of democracy and have brought untold hardship to the people of the state.
“The All Progressives Congress in Benue State urges those whose names have been penciled down for such ill appointments, promotions and placement to reject such Greek gifts from the Ortom-led administration.
“We will like to advise that those who refuse to heed this warning and take up such appointments will be treated as saboteurs and enemies of the Benue people.
“The incoming administration of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia in Benue State is positioned to restore peace in our communities and to deliver its promises of restructuring, rebuilding and developing Benue. The APC will, therefore, not fold its arms and allow anyone or group of persons to plant landmines in its path.”
But reacting, Ortom’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Akase, said, “There is no iota of truth in what they are saying. If at all there is something like that, is it bad for that people who are due for promotion should not be promoted? There is nothing truthful about that.
“What they are saying shows that the APC people are not ready to learn. Benue people should ignore them; it is another lie manufactured by the Benue APC to whip up sentiment and probably lay foundation for their failure.
