The immediate past governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom, has described the claim that he owns the Ethanol Company, known as Pure Bio-Tech located along Gboko-Makurdi road as a ‘false and malicious.’

In a statement issued by his media aide, Terver Akase, on Friday, the former governor alleged that the false impression started in the build-up to the 2023 general election.

The statement read in parts, “Though the report in question did not provide evidence to back its allegation that Chief Ortom owns the company, it is important to once again state that the former Governor is not the owner of the enterprise. His Excellency Ortom does not hold even a single share in the company and he is not remotely affiliated with it.

“The narrative that Chief Ortom owns Pure Bio-Tech was crafted by persons who wanted to take over government in the state by all means before the 2023 elections.

“Such individuals manufactured blatant lies against Governor Ortom whom they accused of purchasing every available land in the state capital and owning every major private business in the state.

“Sadly, some people believed the campaign of lies and hate against Chief Ortom before and during the last election,” he said.

The former governor recalled that one Stephen Numbeve who was recently appointed by Governor Hyacinth Alia as the State Project Coordinator of the Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) served as the Resource Manager of Pure Bio-Tech right from the inception of the company till his appointment in government.

While lamenting that Numbeve, though, remained silent when the anti-Ortom campaign on account of the company and other investments was ongoing before the election, the former governor stated that Numbeve however came out after the election to make social media posts to disclose the real owner of the firm.

“The same Numbeve had apologized to Chief Ortom on the 15th of March, 2021 when the Governor paid an unexpected visit to the company shortly after it began operations without following due process.

“Again, in April 2023, the Ortom administration ordered for urgent investigation into activities of the company when it was discovered that its sewage disposal system was emptying waste into River Benue thereby contaminating the water and endangering aquatic life in the river.

“We challenge those peddling the story that Ortom owns Pure Bio-Tech to make public evidence to support their claims or tender apologies to the former Governor,” the statement read in parts. (Nigerian Tribune)

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