The Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has expressed his desire to change the state’s fortunes when funds stolen during the last administration are recovered.
A commission of enquiry discovered N219 billion looted fund, and the governor hopes it would solve the state’s financial problems.
Ortom said: “If I have N219 billion, I will do wonders for this state. It is a lot of money. Let them bring back this money and even the N802 billion we are talking about. Even that one, there are issues over it.
“We want to pay salaries, we want to pay pensioners their money, we want to pay gratuity and we want to fulfil our contractual obligations, including the ones we inherited.
“With N219 billion, it is enough to solve these problems. Nobody will hear about bailout again. I can even take from there and repay the Federal Government the amount they gave us as bailout fund.
“We need rural roads, we need electricity, we want our hospitals to work, we want our schools to be functional. This is where this money will go. So we must recover it by the grace of God.”
He said there would be no plea bargain or political settlement, adding that stakeholders are unanimous on the refund of looted funds.
“There is no political settlement on this matter of our commonwealth.
I invited stakeholders last year and they were unanimous that refund must be made for our commonwealth. So, no settlement; there is nothing like settlement.
“If you can make refund, I have no case against you. If you said you took N10 billion and you refund the N10 billion, I will tell you to go and sin no more. But where you cannot, this is when I will have problems with you,” Ortom said.
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