Gov. Ortom Accuses FG Of Partiality As EFCC Freezes Benue SEMA Account

Gov. Ortom Accuses FG Of Partiality As EFCC Freezes Benue SEMA Account

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom has decried the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) fight against corruption, describing it as impunity against pointed states.

Ortom while reacting to the commission’s action against Benue State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), which was meant to take care of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in the State, challenged the EFCC to come clean in its fight against corruption and not be selective as being operated.

The governor spoke on Friday night in Makurdi when a delegation of the Executive Intelligence Management Course 15 participants from the National Institute for Security Studies Abuja, visited him on a study tour in the State.

He expressed that EFCC’s action of freezing the Benue State SEMA account meant to take care of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs in the State was an act of impunity against some selected states in the country.

The governor questioned the rationale behind the action of the anti-graft agency, and noted that the funds in the account were donations from individuals and corporate organizations who were deeply concerned about the plight of the IDPs.

“The anti corruption agency has exhibited the height of impunity by its selective war against financial crimes in the country.

“A situation where the EFCC is harassing innocent citizens on politically motivated grounds is unacceptable.

“The EFCC should beam its searchlight on corrupt serving officials in the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari who have turned the purchase of presidential nomination forms of the APC for the forthcoming general elections into a bazaar.

“I want the Federal Government to rise to its constitutional responsibility to secure the lives and property of Nigerians and make the economy and security of the country Paramount” Ortom decried.

The Governor however commended the participants for choosing Benue State as part of their study tour and urged them to take the study seriously and proffer practical solutions to solving the insecurity that has bedevilled the nation.

Earlier, Mr. Godwin Ometu, leader of the delegation and a directing staff of NISS, told the Governor that the course was a flagship programme of NISS and the syndicate 2 was in Benue State to enable participants obtain first-hand information concerning governance, development and security situation.

According to him, the course with the theme “Global Climate Challenge; Prospects and Priorities for Economic Development” was aimed at fostering intelligence synergy and impacting the participants to tackle insecurity challenges.

He disclosed that the course participants were drawn from various security formations within and outside Nigeria and are mandated to submit recommendations and implementation strategies to the Federal Government and requested the Benue state government to key into the programme.

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