Ortom refutes contract award to own company

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OrtomĀ refutes contract award to own company
 
By; Jacob Onjewu Dickson
Apparently worried about some publications making the rounds both on the social and main stream media that Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom awarded contracts to companies he has vested interests in, he has come out to refute such claims, describing them as fictitious and baseless.
In a statement signed by his Special Adviser, Media and ICT, Tahav Agerzua,Ā Ortom said that the campaign of calumny against his person and office is an indication that corruption was fighting back at him.
ā€œOur attention has been drawn to an advertorial sent to newspapers and other platforms claiming that Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, gave contracts to a company in which he has vested interest.
 
ā€œThe said advertorial contained letters purportedly written by the company soliciting for contracts which the Governor gave approval for their paymentĀ running into hundreds of millions of naira which it claimed was made,ā€ it said.
 
The statement went on to inform the general public that the said letters and the signatures on them had been forged as part of an organized smear campaign deliberately calculated to portray Governor Ortom as corrupt.
ā€œThe campaign is at best an indication that corruption, which the Governor detests and has stood against, is attempting to fight back in accordance with its well-known character.Ā Ā The sponsor of the said advertorial signed as Chief Linus Ochejile of the New Benue Proactive, No. 14 Ankpa Road Makurdi, Benue State.Ā Checks at the address revealed that neither the signatory nor group existed.
ā€œThe checks also indicated that the company which the advertorial claimed to have benefitted from the contracts, Oracle Business Limited, never wrote at any time requesting for contracts to renovate the Government House and supply tricycles.
It noted that Governor Ortom relinquished chairmanship of the company as far back as 2011 when he became Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
ā€œMoreover, the figures which the advertorial stated that the Governor approved in both cases exceeded his approval limit and as such only the State Executive Council has the powers to approve them subject to relevant budgetary provision.
ā€œFrom the records, no such contracts were brought before the Council hence no approval was given and payment could not therefore, have been effected,ā€ it emphasized.

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