Gov. Alia is asked to account for N44 billion intervention funding by Benue PDP.

The state governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has been urged by the Peoples Democratic Party to provide an accounting of the N44 billion in special intervention funding that he received from the federal government between August 2023 and 2024.

Through its State Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, the opposition party in the state made the call in response to the submission made by Senator Tilley Gyado, the leader of the All Progressive Congress in the state, stating that the state had received N44 billion in intervention funds over the previous nine months.

Speaking on Sunday at the APC stakeholders meeting in Makurdi, Gyado enumerated the N9 billion in infrastructure funding, the N30 billion sub-national intervention funds, and the N5 billion post-subsidy removal money as the special intervention monies accruing to the state.

However, as claimed by Senate President Senator Godwin Akpabio, the state administration and other governments disagreed with receiving N30 billion.

In an interview with our correspondent around a week ago, State Commissioner for Finance and Budget Planning Michael Oglegba acknowledged that the Federal Government had made certain interventions but refuted the N30 billion interaction fund.

The state PDP referred to the APC leader’s statement as “shocking,” claiming that the governor had not disclosed the receipt of any such funds, with the exception of the post-subsidy removal (palliatives) fund, which, following intense pressure from our side, he had acknowledged receiving N2 billion in part but had since kept quiet about the remaining N3 billion.

“By all norms of transparency and accountability, it is unacceptable that the people of Benue State are now learning about the existence of a N9 billion infrastructure fund and a N30 billion sub-national intervention fund from the APC statement.

“PDP is sorry that Governor Alia’s refusal to reveal N44 billion in federal intervention grants supports his policy of secrecy and contempt for the rule of law and due process, which underpin a style of governance that is characteristic of a sole administratorship.”

The opposition party asked the governor to clarify his spending of the N44 billion in special grants, arguing that failing to do so would further heighten the suspicions already surrounding his government.