From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has asked the state governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, to come out clean and respond to allegations of duplication of contractual payment figures and other alleged expenditures amounting to over N46 billion leveled against him.
The PDP made this call during a press conference by its Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, at the party state secretariat in Makurdi, on Thursday.
Iortyom said the PDP is concerned over mounting allegations of duplication of contractual payments and other huge expenditures made against Governor Hyacinth Alia from various public sources.
He said the party demands that the governor come clean on those allegations in fulfillment of his sworn duty of accountability and transparency to the people.
The party recalled that over the past few days, the media space has been awash with publications alleging that he, Governor Alia, has squandered over N46 billion for purposes which is questionable how they align with the objective for good governance.
He said the allegations provided details of the expenditure by Governor Alia running into tens of billions of naira in what appears to be duplication of contracts, refurbished “palliative” vehicles, travel expenses, hotel accommodations, purchase of vehicles, cost of running Government House, Makurdi and catering for guests and other sundry purposes.
Some of the allegations of questionable expenditure of public funds by the Governor were that “Between May 29 and September 30th, 2023, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has spent more than N46 billion of state resources on various purposes, prominent among which are expenses for duplicated contracts, his travels, vehicles, hotel bills, cost of running Government House etc”.
“In August, Governor Alia announced that his government had awarded contracts for the construction of 16 township roads in Makurdi at the cost of N6 billion. The road projects were yet to start anywhere in the state capital, when suddenly, the Governor announced again that the State Executive Council had given him approval to increase the contract amount for the 16 road projects from N6 billion to N9 billion.”
“Records we reliably obtained showed that on the 6th October, 2023, the state government awarded M/s Triacta Nigeria Limited the sum of N2,760,018,000.00 for the construction/rehabilitation of 16 roads within Makurdi metropolis (15.39km) (contract No. BSPPC-47/2023);
“Again on 30th October, 2023, the Alia government released the sum of N1,977,379,575.79 (N1.9 billion) with contract number BSPPC-47/2023 which was paid to M/s Triacta Nigeria Ltd for the same construction/rehabilitation of 15.39km of 16 roads within Makurdi Metropolis” among other allegations.
The PDP said if the allegations are true, he needs to explain if the expenditures were done in conformity with extant procurement and appropriation laws of Benue State.
“But if the allegations are false, what then is the income and expenditure profile of Benue State from May 29, 2023 to this moment under the watch of the governor?”
The party insisted that it is the right of Benue people to know how their commonwealth is being expended saying the Governor will be deemed to be guilty-as-charged, should he keep sealed lips over those weighty allegations as he has always done when called out to account for his stewardship as governor.