This was as the Judge on Wednesday struck out the suit filed by Ortom and his Deputy, Abounu against Governor Alia on the ground of being speculative and seeking to limit the exercise of the constitutional powers of the governor.
Justice Theresa Igoche of the Benue State High Court sitting in Makurdi, the state capital has ruled that the Governor Hyacinth Alia-led Benue state government has the executive right and power to withdraw the 32 vehicles donated to the former Governor, Samuel Ortom and his deputy, Benson Abounu, before they left office.
This was as the Judge on Wednesday struck out the suit filed by Ortom and his Deputy, Abounu against Governor Alia on the ground of being speculative and seeking to limit the exercise of the constitutional powers of the governor.
Ortom and Abounu in the suit marked MHC/199/2023, were challenging the alleged retrieval of 32 vehicles and properties allegedly donated to them and their cabinet members by the Benue State Executive Council before their handover on May 29.
They alleged that such an action of retrieval was a constitutional affront to their collective right to ownership of property legally and legitimately vested in them.
However, a statement which emanated from the Government House on Wednesday stated that the counsel for the state government, Governor Alia and the Chairman of the Assets Recovery Committee, Mohammed Ndarani (SAN) who appeared with Vershima Akaangee and Raphael Ashwe, raised and argued a Notice of Preliminary Objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain, hear and determine the suit on the grounds that it was speculative.
According to Ndarani, the suit failed to give the identity of the cars and properties allegedly taken from the plaintiffs. Secondly, the suit sought to limit the proper exercise of the executive powers of the governor to appoint appropriate committees to help in the administration of the state.
Peoplesmind