The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has freed former Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom.
The former governor was said to have accepted the commission’s invitation on Tuesday morning at 10:00am.
Along with two of his aides, he drove inside the agency’s Makurdi zonal headquarters, which is situated at Alor Gordon street in the state capital.
Abraham Kwanhgu, his principal special assistant on special duties, and Terver Akase, his media aide, were seen with him.
Detectives questioned Ortom about the money Benue spent when he was governor.
Ortom handed over a debt profile of N187.7 billion to the administration of Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia.
At a brief ceremony held at the old banquet hall of Government House in Makurdi, Ortom told Alia that the handover notes in three volumes were summary of his eight years administration.
The governor explained that the total income of the state during his eight years sojourn amounted to N734.9billion as at April 2023 while the total debt incurred by the state within the period stood at N187.7billion inclusive of unpaid salary, pension arrears, loans and bonds among others.
He also intimated his successor of a debt swap/reduction arrangement between the state and the Federal Government to the tune of N97.716billion.
Ortom explained that with an expected inflow of N48billion, after discount, the negotiated debt swap would be reduced to N45.2billion, thereby bringing down the state’s total debt profile.
He further disclosed that his administration already secured an approval of N41billion loan and a N20billion Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) facility, urging the Alia’s administration to press for the release of the money when sworn in.
