Gov Hyacinth Alia Nullifies All Recent Appointments, Others Made By Ortom

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has nullified with immediate effect, all the recent appointments into the state civil service made by the outgone administration of Samuel Ortom from May 2022 to date.

Alia’s directive was contained in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, and posted on the state government’s official Twitter handle on Wednesday.

In a move that is now seen as a way of sanitising the state civil service, the governor also gave other directives.

According to the statement, Alia directed that all those who have retired but are yet to vacate their offices or duty post either because of extension or contract appointment are to proceed on retirement forthwith.

The statement further reads, “All Civil Servants due for retirement but are yet to tender their letters of retirement or notice of retirement should do so forthwith and proceed on retirement immediately.

“All Civil Servants and or persons appointed Permanent Secretaries from the month of January 2023 to date should revert to their previous positions forthwith.

“All the postings and transfers made in the state civil service from October 2022, to date are hereby nullified. The affected staff should revert to their former ranks, stations, or offices with immediate effect.”

Recall that Alia after meeting with former President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja in April lamented that workers in the state are being owed a backlog of salaries as well as pensions.

He added that Ortom’s administration has left Benue in the ‘Intensive care Unit (ICU).’

In other news, Kanyi Daily reported that the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) on Tuesday, announced that the sum of N130m has been approved for each polytechnic as a zonal intervention in its 2023 intervention line.