Governor Samuel Ortom told JOSEPH WANTU in Makurdi how his administration is placing Benue State on the path of development despite dwindling revenue. Excerpts: 

One month in the saddle I am running an open door administration and I have talked about core values in my government. I have also talked about transparency, which is about allowing people access to whatever we are doing. I also talked about truthfulness, equity, justice, integration and selflessness.

All these values are meant to bring people to participate and be part of what we are doing. We don’t want to monopolize everything; we want them to feel the impact because this is the people’s government. I went out and felt the passion and the kind of support that I received from the people, and so I am not taking anything for granted.

I want our people to participate in this government and I have given my word and that is what we are doing. Alleged overbearing influence of Senator Akume My style of leadership is to carry people along. It was right in this Banquet Hall that I called all the stakeholders including the leaders of the party, Chief Audu Ogbe, Senator Barnabas Gemade among others and told them my idea of how I want my government to be.

I gave the people the opportunity to participate by recommending names to me and through that we did the selection of commissioners. But I also had people who are technocrats that I wanted them to be part of my government not just politicians. So I was looking forward to have a cabinet that is all-inclusive.

I have given that opportunity to those who can add value to our government though they are not party men. And so the process allowed people to make contributions and to participate and that gave room for Senator Akume to participate. I too participated just like the other stakeholders.

We disagreed to agree on certain positions at local governments, but I want to assure you that we have concluded and the list was sent to the House of Assembly and I believe that in the next few days, once it is returned to me, I will have an executive council in place. So it was done most transparently, I will say that it didn’t have one hundred percent acceptability by all the stakeholders but to a reasonable percentage of more than 80 percent, the people and myself accepted it.

The N10 billion loan and workers’ salary The N10 billion we collected was not just to pay salaries, it was also meant for the take off of the executive and the legislature arms and to take care of other critical challenges that we have. Like the accreditation of courses at the School of Health Sciences at the Benue State University that our children who were the first set of the Medical School have been there for twelve years studying Medicine.

That is a course that should ordinarily take six years and we felt that whatever happened, we must complete the process and do the accreditation. We also expected to use part of the money for the renovation of the Governor’s Lodge and other Guest Houses and to do other critical things that we needed to do. I also want to say that we did not receive N3 billion from the Federation Account.

My style of leadership is to carry people along. It was right in this Banquet Hall that I called all the stakeholders including the leaders of the party, Chief Audu Ogbe, Senator Barnabas Gemade among others and told them my idea of how I want my government to be. I gave the people the opportunity to participate by recommending names to me and through that we did the selection of commissioners. But I also had people who are technocrats that I wanted them to be part of my government not just politicians. So I was looking forward to have a cabinet that is all-inclusive. I have given that opportunity to those who can add value to our government though they are not party men. And so the process allowed people to make contributions and to participate and that gave room for Senator Akume to participate. I too participated just like the other stakeholders.

I know that we received N1.7 billion as Statutory Allocation and about N500 million as Value Added Tax (VAT). And like I told you, we had overdraft and loans that were waiting to swallow this to the tune of N1.6 billion naira and so that is where we are.

But it may interest you to know that the loan of N10 billion we got, we decided that we will pay at least two months salaries and for the month of May including pension and overheads. We have to cough out N3.7 billion that is just for May and if the same thing will apply in June, it means altogether, salary for the two months will be N7.4 billion.

And that was why we decided that we would pay that of May and that for June, we have to do an audit of the staff to ascertain the actual number of staff on the payroll of government because we believe that something somewhere is wrong with the salary bill we are getting.

To us, it is on the high side and as soon as we verify that the money meant for June salaries is ready, we are going to pay. Clashes between Fulani herdsmen and Benue farmers I have addressed this matter over and over but I still want to assure you that very soon this matter will be resolved. We have been having constant meetings with the herdsmen, the farmers and the traditional institutions.

I hope the crisis will be over soon. One thing I have told our people is that the Fulani people must graze but they should not destroy people’s farms and criminality amongst us both from the side of the Fulani people and farmers must be eliminated.

And for kidnappers and armed robbers, I have said that they should surrender their arms within three months and we have started getting positive responses from them. For those who will surrender, we shall integrate them into the society and find a better way of supporting them to live a better life. But those who will not surrender, we are going to pursue them to their holes and ostracize them.

And like I told you, my administration is giving priority to investment and no investor will come to a state that is insecure. And I keep saying, the only way we can surmount the challenges we are having, especially unemployment, is when we get investors who will invest in processing.

Luckily we have advantages in agriculture, in solid minerals and several other ways. So I believe that in the near future, the problem of Fulani with our farmers with become a thing of the past. Making a difference in investment drive We think that ours will be different because we know the investors that we are targeting.

Having served as Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, and brought in investment into Nigeria, because in 2012 when we came in, we attracted investment into the country to the tune of over $8 billion.

And for kidnappers and armed robbers, I have said that they should surrender their arms within three months and we have started getting positive responses from them. For those who will surrender, we shall integrate them into the society and find a better way of supporting them to live a better life. But those who will not surrender, we are going to pursue them to their holes and ostracize them. And like I told you, my administration is giving priority to investment and no investor will come to a state that is insecure. And I keep saying, the only way we can surmount the challenges we are having, especially unemployment, is when we get investors who will invest in processing. Luckily we have advantages in agriculture, in solid minerals and several other ways. So I believe that in the near future, the problem of Fulani with our farmers with become a thing of the past.

And in 2013, we attracted investment of over $7 billion and the same thing in 2014. So we know the right people to approach and we know the challenges too and part of it is the insecurity I am talking about.

That is why we are struggling to ensure that we have security within the state so that these investors will come in. And again, having the background of a private sector operator, I think I am in a best position to provide an enabling environment, because that is all that is required.

When you don’t have people who have not ventured into private sector, they may not be conversant with the challenges, but I am an operator myself and I know the challenges, and at least all the enterprises I set up here in the state are operating.

I believe that some of the challenges can be turned into opportunities that will provide jobs, create wealth and help the growth of the state. So I believe that this time around, we will do something different from the past administrations.