The Peoples Democratic Party in Benue State is asking the State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to explain how he spent N44 billion in special intervention grants received from the Federal Government between August 2023 and 2024.
The opposition party in the state, represented by its State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, made this request in response to claims made by the leader of the All Progressive Congress in the state, Senator Tilley Gyado.
Gyado stated that N44 billion in intervention funds had been given to the state in the last nine months.
During the APC stakeholders meeting in Makurdi on Sunday, Gyado mentioned that the special intervention funds received by the state included N5 billion for post-subsidy removal, N9 billion for infrastructure, and N30 billion for sub-national interventions.
However, the state government, along with other states, has denied receiving the alleged N30 billion mentioned by Senate President, Senator Godwin Akpabio.
Last week, the State Commissioner for Finance and Budget Planning, Michael Oglegba, spoke to our correspondent. He mentioned that the Federal Government provided some interventions but denied receiving the N30 billion interaction fund.
The PDP in the state found the statement by the APC leader ‘shocking’. They pointed out that the governor had not disclosed receiving such funds, except for the post-subsidy removal (palliatives) fund. After pressure from the PDP, the governor admitted to receiving part of the N2 billion but remained silent about the remaining N3 billion.
“If there was a N9 billion infrastructure fund and a N30 billion Sub-national intervention fund, the people of Benue State are only getting to know about it from the APC statement, and this by all standards of transparency and accountability is unacceptable.
“PDP is saddened that this non-disclosure of N44 billion federal intervention grants by Governor Alia reinforces his policy of concealment and disregard for due process and the rule of law which underpin a style of governance that is in character a sole administratorship.”
The opposition party is asking the governor to be transparent and reveal how he spent the N44 billion in special grants. Failing to do so will only increase the suspicions surrounding his administration.
