Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State and his predecessor, Samuel Ortom, have exchanged words regarding issues of governance in the state.

This followed a thanksgiving event held in Agidi, Konshisha Local Government Area, to honour the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.

The event organised to also celebrate the 50th birthday of Dr. Matthias Byuan, the Executive Director at the Federal Housing Authority, was attended by prominent figures, including Ortom.

However, Governor Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, following the outing issued a scathing statement accusing Ortom of poor leadership during his tenure from 2015 to 2023.

The statement criticised Ortom’s administration for alleged financial mismanagement, unpaid salaries, and stalled infrastructure projects.It also accused the former governor of using divisive rhetoric and signing unproductive agreements during his administration.

But in response, Terver Akase, former Chief Press Secretary to Ortom, dismissed the claims as false, arguing that Ortom’s attendance of the event should not incite political controversy.

He also called on Governor Alia to focus on governance, contending that issues of insecurity and community development were waiting for his urgent attention.

Ortom’s camp further criticised the Alia administration for receiving higher federal allocations without commensurate results in delivering the dividend of democracy to the people of the state.