The Benue State government has said that incessant attacks hurled through the social media were painting the state in a bad light and discouraging inv
The Benue State government has said that incessant attacks hurled through the social media were painting the state in a bad light and discouraging investors from patronising it. According to Lawrence Onoja Jnr, the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, “The social media attacks have been very severe; they paint Benue State in bad light and discourage investors from coming in.”
Onoja Jr. said that the negative comments posted on the social media were ‘mischievous tales’ targeted at discouraging investors from investing into government’s agriculture-driven industrialization.
“Sometimes what you read in the social media amazes one; how can one deliberately plant lies just to pull down his own state government and stall its growth? The situation is regrettable and simply sad. Government works very hard, but its opponents keep discrediting it,” he fumed.
He, however, said that the Gov Samuel Ortom-led administration would not be discouraged by ‘such mischief makers and rumour-mongers’. The commissioner said that government was planning an Information Summit that would deal with the menace of the social media and tackle rumour mongering, adding that government was transparent in its financial transactions, adding that all contracts had always followed due processes.
“Government has nothing to hide; it is laughable to allege that the governor awards contracts to himself. Contracts are discussed and endorsed by the State Executive Council. The governor vets all expenditures; he is strict and there is no way he can award contracts to himself. The executive council directs the ministries and payments are done through the Ministry of Finance,” he explained.
Punch
