The impeached speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Terkimbir Ikyange said on Monday that the assembly has initiated impeachment moves against Governor Samuel Ortom.
This is coming at a time when another faction of the lawmakers under the new speaker Hon. Titus Uba said they have suspended the entire Ikyange led members for six (6) months.
Speaking to newsmen at his official residence after plenary, Ikyange stated that the house would communicate the notice of impeachment to the governor in seven days.
Ikyange led 12 lawmakers to plenary Monday under tight security and accused Ortom of embezzling state funds amounting to N55 Billion.
He stated that Ortom embezzled N33 billion through reduction of Local Government funds and used another N22 billion to shop for political platform before he decamped to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
According to Ikyange, as a result of the financial recklessness of Ortom civil servants in Benue state are being owned seven (7) months salaries, while local government are owned eleven (11) month and pensioners fourteen (14) months .
He said the impeachment moves against Ortom also has to do with his non-performance in office.
But reacting, Ortom dismissed the allegations of fraud and non – performance as blatant lies.
The Governor said he has worked with the Speaker for three years but he did not raise the issue of fraud and wondered why the issue is coming now after he defected to the PDP.
“The only crime against me is I enacted “anti – Open grazing prohibition law which is the product of the People of Benue State.”
Ortom pleaded with President Muhammadu Buhari to call the Inspector – General of Police (IGP) and DSS to order, as according to him “democracy is about rule of law.”
He said eight members of the House cannot over rule twenty two members. “All that they are trying to do is to change the narratives against me and demobilized me.”