BENUE: Ortom Striving To Save Cost

BENUE State governor, Samuel Ortom, on assumption of office, just over a month ago, announced that he would run a lean government in order to save cost and deliver on his campaign promises.

He, therefore, made his first cabinet appointment two weeks after he assumed office, which were the Secretary to the State Government, Targema Takema; Chief of Staff, Terwase Orbunde; Head of Service, Iwanta Adaikwu and Special Adviser on Media and ICT, Tahav Agerzua.

It was expected that shortly after the four appointments were made, that of commissioners would follow suit, but that was not to be, despite the approval of the State House of Assembly to that effect.

The reason is not far fetched, as the governor has repeatedly told the people that his government cannot afford to fail, hence his insistence on having technocrats with proven records of achievement.

In line with his agenda to save cost and fast track development, the governor has reduced the number of commissioners from 19 to 13, as against his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam’s array of commissioners, just as he has reduced the number of special advisers.

Ortom is also yet to appoint senior special assistants, special assistants and personal assistants, as is the tradition.

Of course, the governor has not failed to intimate the people about his government’s intended programmes, as well as, the impediments inherent therein, due to the policies of the immediate past administration, which led to the state’s indebtedness to the tune of N90 billion.

Already, the government has secured a facility of 10 billion naira to enable him pay workers and pensioners after receivinggetting the first allocation from the federation’s account for a month or two due to the weight of the state’s financial burden.

“So far we have discovered a debt burden of over 90 billion naira left behind by the former governor and we are still counting, we shall make it known to you all our findings as soon as we conclude studying the handover notes” Ortom said.

A public affairs analyst, Chief Peter Gbakon, while reacting to the governor’s delay in inaugurating a full cabinet to hit the grounds running, in line with the expectations of the people, called for patience and understanding.

Gbakon said it is too early for any one to start any blame game since the governor is just coming on board, adding that he was sure that Ortom would not fail the people.

Explaining why the former governor failed to live up to his expectations, a financial expert, Ahemba Iortim, blamed what he described as unwise application of resources on misplaced priority of projects and employment.

For instance, Iortim argued that the ex-governor had over 400 political aides on his employment list and as such wasted so much funds on paying them over the years and even increased their number during the reign of excess crude proceeds not been mindful of any eventually which has befallen the nation now hence the economic difficulty.

The Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and ICT, Agerzua, noted that the governor’s decisions so far are indicative of his readiness to reduce the cost of governance, saying the present decisions of the state government would be felt in due course.

Meanwhile, there has been jubilation galore in Makurdi, the state capital, and other parts of the state, following the commencement of payment of full salaries by the state governor.

Recall that before the coming on board of the Ortom administration, workers were placed on an unsteady salary payment, with some taking quarter and half salaries respectively.