Governor Ortom Gives Reasons For Firing 11 Perm Secs

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue state has forced eleven permanent secretaries in the state civil service into retirement owing to health related issues, Daily Post reports.

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter

Samuel Ortom

According to the commissioner for information and orientation, Ode Ageh, shortly after an emergency state executive council meeting on Tuesday, November 10, at the Peoples House in Makurdi, the state capital, the directive was with immediate effect.

The commissioner noted that adding to the health reason for the retirement, the government also considered their ages and performances in the civil service.

The permanent secretaries who were affected in the forced retirement are Stev Ato, Terna Iorkyaa, Joseph Okor, Akperan Anunne and Eugene Ivase.

Others are Godwin Ejembi, Shabu B., Ade John, Asen Sambe, Tor Jun and Terlumun Tsegba.

According to the dismissal, Ageh also said that even vehicles were recovered from officials of the past administration of the immediate past governor, Gabriel Suswam.

He however warned that those who still keeping properties belonging to the government of the state should endeavour to return them so as to avoid prosecution.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Suswam, the embattled erstwhile governor of Benue state, had recently lamented what he described as misinformation from the All Progressives Congress during the 2015 general elections which alleged that he stole the state’s funds meant for workers’ salaries.

According to Daily Post, Suswam who governed the state from 2007 to 2015, an administration that has been tagged the worst in the history of the country, denied stealing the state’s money during his eight years in office.

Despite the denial by his predecessor, Governor Ortom still insisted that his predecessor, Suswam, must face trial to account for his stewardship while in office as governor for eight years.

He said that Suswam left an empty treasury when he left office in May 29 saying that the people of the state are interested to know how these monies grew wings.

Source:Naij