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From Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has raised concerns that Governor Hyacinth Alia has suspended constitutional rule in the state and is running the government under his watch as a dictatorship.
The party in a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, was reacting to several awards of contracts by the Governor since he came into office in which they said he did not follow due process.
Recall that yesterday, August 7, 2023, Governor Alia flagged off the award of contracts for the construction of 16 roads in Makurdi metropolis running into billions of naira.
This is in addition to a contract earlier awarded by the governor for the renovation of the State Assembly Complex, the sum for which he also did not disclose, but which should be in the region of a billion naira.
The PDP said, “By the award of those contracts yesterday, the Benue State Governor has violated provisions of BENUE STATE FINANCIAL INSTRUCTIONS which states unambiguously in Chapter 23, Section 2305 that the spending limit and approval permitted the governor in respect of contracts shall, in all requests not exceed N50,000,000.00 (fifty million naira).”
The party stated further that, the procedure for processing biddings for contracts for subsequent awards to qualified contractors is laid down elaborately in the Benue State Public Procurement Law and involves the mandatory participation of a State Executive Council which the governor has up to this moment failed to constitute.
The party noted that after 71 days in office, Governor Alia was yet to appoint commissioners to his cabinet just as he has placed all financial accounts of the state government in various banks under a state of freeze, and he alone makes withdrawals from and closes them as he deems fit.
“PDP understands that Governor Alia is inclined to discharging the business of government as a sole administrator, a despot, a dictator, under a system not regulated by due process and rule of law, but which permits him unlimited powers.”
The party, soliciting the support of all men of good conscience to rise up and resist, with every lawful means, the danger looming over the state, said they will lead the charge in resisting it to safeguard the sanctity of a democratic system of government which is in practice in Nigeria and Benue State.
“PDP will resist the budding dictatorship being incubated by Governor Alia in Benue State,” the statement read.
