The Benue State Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project (RAAMP) has dismissed insinuations that it has received a seven-day ultimatum from contractors to settle alleged contract debts or face protests.
This was disclosed by the State Coordinator of RAAMP, Stephen Numbeve, while speaking with journalists on Tuesday. He said the project had not received any such ultimatum.
He described a letter circulating on social media, purportedly written and signed by contractors giving RAAMP seven days to pay for contracts allegedly executed over a year ago or face peaceful protests across Benue, as fake and politically motivated.
He said the letter was aimed at discrediting the speedy and transformative agenda of Governor Hyacinth Alia within his relatively short period in office, as well as portraying his administration in a negative light.
According to him, the people who signed the letter were not contractors with Benue RAAMP but politicians who did not mean well for the Alia administration.
He disclosed that, under his watch, Benue RAAMP was not indebted to any contractor and challenged anyone among the signatories who claimed to be owed money to approach the office with proof.
“RAAMP doesn’t give contracts to individuals but to registered companies,” Numbeve clarified.
He urged the general public and the people of Benue State to disregard the false information circulating about RAAMP, describing it as baseless and unfounded falsehood allegedly being spread by political elements bent on discrediting the Alia administration.
He reiterated that RAAMP remained focused on its mandate of providing rural access and improving agricultural marketing in the state, in line with the vision of the present administration, and advised media practitioners in the state to always cross-check information before going to press.
