State Government Ask Ex-Governor To Return N450m

Former governor Gabriel Suswam to return N450m he allegedly collected two days before his exit from office, Benue authority request.

According to the Benue State Commissioner for Information, Mr Odeh Ageh, who spoke to journalists at the end of the council’s meeting on Wednesday, it was discovered by the transition committee set up by Governor Samuel Ortom that the former Governor allegedly collected the money as arrears of overhead costs.

Ageh also explained that Suswam collected the N450m when his administration had not paid workers’ salaries for more than four months and owed pensioners’ gratuities.

He said overhead costs had never been paid to heads of government agencies in arrears and wondered why the former governor who allegedly misappropriated over N107bn along with 51 other persons would hurriedly collect overhead costs as if he was going to spend it on government activities before leaving office.

Ageh told journalists that the council constituted a committee to investigate the increase in the wage bill of workers despite the fact that many civil servants had retired in the state.

The commissioner explained that Ortom presided over the executive council meeting, adding that the transition committee was directed to investigate the reasons why the state’s wage bill was N4bn.

He said the council directed the Benue State Local Government Service Commission to investigate the protest by over 800 workers in the Obi Local Government Council over 14-month unpaid salaries.

Punch