Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Reports reaching Nigerian Concord Newspaper from the Benue State Government House have indicated that the Chairman of the State Assets Recovery Committee, Mr. Hinga Biem is presently being questioned over the whereabouts of two cars out of many that had been recovered by the committee which was recently set up by Governor Hyacinth Alia.
Recall that Governor Alia set up the Assets Recovery Committee and made Hinga Biem the chairman in order to recover some properties from the immediate past administration led by Chief Samuel Ortom PhD.
Shortly after the committee was set up, the governor jettisoned the genuine plans and chose to use the same committee to harrass, insult and witch-hunt his predecessor.
The committee had illegally invaded the private automobile workshop of the former governor and stole forcefully took cars that were brought there for repairs.
Despite that the State Executive Council under Chief Samuel Ortom had met and approved that he and his then deputy, Benson Abounu should leave with their official cars, Governor Alia still chose to put his predecessor through media trial and public embarrassment, an action which has attracted public sympathy to the former governor.
According to reports reaching this newspaper, two out of the cars that had been recovered were reportedly taken to an unknown destination by Hinga Biem.
However, the governor has instructed Hinga Biem to return the two stolen cars with immediate effects or face the wrath of the law.
Efforts to cover up this dirty act by those close to the governor were aborted as the news had already been taken to the media by an undisclosed aggrieved member of the Assets Recovery Committee.
Hinga Biem according to Government House sources is claiming that there are no missing cars, noting that all the cars that were recovered so far had been handed over to the state government.
According to him, he didn’t steal any car, claiming that the allegation was from some of the members of the Assets Recovery Committee who are hell bent on getting him out of the way.
But, this newspaper has confirmed that the two cars were actually stolen by Hinga Biem and a fact-finding committee to be led by the governor’s Chief of Staff, Hon. Paul Biam will soon be set up to investigate the whereabouts of the stolen vehicles.
Also, the Hinga Biem-led Assets Recovery Committee may be disbanded and another one set up as being advised by some of the Government House cabals.
Efforts to reach Biem proved abortive as he didn’t pick his calls and also didn’t respond to text messages sent to him by one of our reporters.