By Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi
If there is one shameless politician in Benue state who will praise you today because of what he is benefitting and then criticize you tomorrow when those benefits are no longer there, that person is Mr. Andrew Ayabam, a former chairman of the Benue State Internal Revenue Board.
Ayabam is one man that will talk with both sides of his mouth depending on where the table turns to. He did same to his former boss, Senator Gabriel Suswam when he was governor of Benue state.
Dr. Suswam became a Messiah in the heart and mouth of Ayabam when in 2010 the former governor appointed him to head the state revenue agency.
For two years, there was no day that Ayabam would not praise Suswam. At some points, he described Suswam as his own God and Messiah.
Ayabam was speaking on pages of newspapers as well as the internet about the achievements of Dr. Suswam in all sectors. As a matter of fact, he was the first person to call Suswam “Mr. Infrastructure”
All the praises which Ayabam was showering on Suswam faded away when in 2012, he was sacked and disgraced out of the office by the former governor for massive looting of government treasury . He was to be prosecuted but the case was downplayed as a result of interventions from royal fathers, religious leaders and political players in Benue state.
After his sack, Ayabam started calling Suswam a thief. He described him as a killer of Benue economy. Between 2012 and 2015, Ayabam was telling the whole world that Suswam didn’t achieve anything as governor of the state.
The situation became worse when Suswam left office in 2015. There was no unprintable name Ayabam didn’t call him. The shameless thief “Ayabam” knew he was castigating Suswam for no reason. He was aware of the various achievements of Suswam in all sectors but he still chose to paint him as a “failed governor”.
In 2019, Ayabam found his way into the heart of Chief Samuel Ortom PhD immediately he secured his second term in office. The former governor after serious persuasions appointed Andrew Ayabam as the BIRS Chief. Ayabam promised heaven and earth but at last he failed. He failed like his predecessors, Mimi Orubibi and Terzungwe Atser
Immediately Ayabam became the BIRS chairman, he engaged two brothers from the same parents as his Aides. The late Ati Terkula and Ati Kengkeng. Through the duo, Ayabam was able to steal public funds running to hundred of millions of naira. Several bank accounts were opened on his behalf and public funds were stolen and kept in those accounts.
While Ayabam was there, he was praising Chief Samuel Ortom PhD everyday. He once described him as the best governor Benue state had.
On September 10, 2019, Ayabam granted an exclusive interview to Daily Asset newspaper where he called Samuel Ortom “a people oriented governor”
He stated it in the interview how the former governor was employing several Benue youths and young graduates so they could be taken off the street.
Ayabam said in that interview and I quote: “If His Excellency who is people oriented thinks that we should have a fixed amount to fund that kind of activity we will be glad and we are hoping that he would also come up with such idea so that many more Benue youths are taken off the streets.”
In the same interview, Ayabam stated that he had been going out to talk about the numerous and unbeatable projects and achievements of Chief Samuel Ortom. He said the governor had been able to execute several projects.
Ayabam further said and I quote: “…we went out to publicize government projects funded with tax money. When people see what government is doing with their money, they are more or likely to voluntarily pay their taxes. So His Excellency (Ortom) has taken over that challenge and he made quite a number of pronouncement since we assumed office, and deliberately telling the people where the money is going and we are going to be announcing these projects with the governor and the team…”
There was no day that Ayabam wouldn’t talk about the achievements of Chief Ortom but all that also faded off immediately he was kicked out of office for massive frauds.
Under Ayabam, half of Benue’s internal revenue were diverted to his personal use and immediately he was sacked, he started telling a different story about Chief Ortom that he had no single projects in eight years.
How can someone take such a dubious and shameless man serious?
Right now, Ayabam has been praising Governor Alia because he has secured a chance to use his company, SOFTNET to dupe the state government, but once that benefit is over, a different story about Father Hyacinth Alia will be told by the same Ayabam who is presently calling him a Messiah.
To be continued. I am Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi, De Oracular Oracle that eats jollof rice in the shrine
