There’s an ongoing cold war between Benue State governor, Gabriel Suswam and the governor-elect, Samuel Ortom over the former’s plan to impose members of his cabinet on him.
This development, DAILY POST learnt started on April 14 after Ortom visited Suswam when he called to concede defeat on behalf of Tarzoor.
Sources within the party hinted that Suswam during a recent private meeting with the incoming governor submitted some names of persons in his cabinet he should retain once he assumes offices.
Among those listed were: the state Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Omadachi Oklobia, Solomon Agidani of the Ministry of Works and Transports and Joseph Tarkaa of the Ministry of Rural Development and Cooperatives.
The state’s Commissioner for Culture and Tourism as well as the Commissioner for education were also in the list.
However, the incoming governor immediately rejected the list, asking the governor to allow him make his own list.
Sources disclosed that following the refusal, Suswam has concluded plan to recruit over 6000 civil servants before the expiration of his tenure next month.
According to findings, these tactics by the governor were to make the ground hard for Ortom and his team to flourish.
Suswam is currently owing public servants salaries of over 6 months and pensions that have accrued to over 11 months.
In a quick reaction, Ortom strongly warned the outgoing administration against any last minute recruitments into the state civil service.
Ortom while addressing party leaders at a stakeholders’ meeting in Makurdi recently affirmed that any new recruitment carried out by the outgoing government after he was declared winner in the April 11 governorship polls would be reversed.
According to report, the new staff, who would resume duties with effect from May 1, were said to have their appointments back dated several months to cover the debt owed by Suswam’s government.
This arrangement is not restricted to the state civil service alone as the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), has also gotten the mandate to employ an undisclosed number of staff.
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