Following the revelation by the All Progressives Congress in Benue State about the alleged N44 billion accrued to the state as special intervention, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party in the state has called on the State Governor, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to account for how he expended the funds.
Tribune Online had reported the disclosure by the leader of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Senator Tilley Gyado, at the stakeholders’ meeting on Sunday, stating that N44 billion in the form of intervention funds was accrued to the state in the past nine months.
Senator Gyado, during his speech, listed the special intervention funds accrued to the state as including N5 billion post-subsidy removal, N9 billion Infrastructural funds, and N30 billion sub-national intervention funds.
However, some states, including Benue state, have denied the receipt of N30 billion, as earlier alleged by the Senate President, Senator Godwin Akpabio.
In a statement issued by the state publicity secretary of PDP in the state, Bemgba Iortyom described the submission of the APC leader as ‘shocking,’ stating that there had been no disclosure from the governor of the receipt of such funds, with the exception of the post-subsidy removal (palliatives) fund. After much pressure from our end, he had accepted having received in part N2 billion and thereafter had kept sealed lips over the outstanding 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.
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“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, however, called on the governor to come clean and disclose how he had expended the N44 billion special grants, as doing otherwise will further thicken the cloud of suspicions hovering over his administration.