The Peoples Democratic Social gathering, PDP, in Benue State has demanded that Governor Hyacinth Alia present an in depth account of how he expended N44 billion in particular intervention grants obtained from the Federal Authorities between August 2023 and 2024.
The decision got here in response to feedback made by the chief of the All Progressives Congress, APC, within the state, Senator Tilley Gyado, who disclosed at a stakeholders assembly in Makurdi that N44 billion in intervention funds had accrued to the state prior to now 9 months.
Gyado listed the funds as N5 billion post-subsidy removing, N9 billion infrastructural funds, and N30 billion sub-national intervention funds.
Nonetheless, the Benue State authorities and different states have denied the receipt of the alleged N30 billion sub-national intervention funds, opposite to claims made by Senate President, Senator Godwin Akpabio.
Nonetheless, the Benue Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Bemgba Iortyom, expressed shock on the revelation that the state authorities had obtained the funds, noting that Alia had not disclosed the receipt of such funds to the general public, aside from the post-subsidy removing (palliatives) fund, of which he acknowledged receiving N2 billion and remained silent on the excellent N3 billion.
The PDP criticized the dearth of transparency and accountability within the governor’s dealing with of the funds, stating that the non-disclosure of the N44 billion federal intervention grants strengthened his coverage of concealment and disrespect for due course of and the rule of regulation.
“If there was a N9 billion infrastructure fund and a N30 billion Sub-national intervention fund, the folks of Benue State are solely attending to learn about it from the APC assertion, and this by all requirements of transparency and accountability is unacceptable.
“PDP is saddened that this non-disclosure of N44 billion federal intervention grants by Governor Alia reinforces his coverage of concealment and disrespect for due course of and the rule of regulation which underpin a mode of governance that’s in character a sole administratorship,” Iortyom acknowledged.
The opposition get together known as on the governor to return ahead and clarify how he utilized the N44 billion particular grants, stating that failure to take action would solely elevate additional suspicions about his administration’s lack of transparency and accountability.
