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Tag: Alia

  • Benue gov, Alia appoints new auditor general

    Benue gov, Alia appoints new auditor general

    Gov. Hyacinth Alia of  Benue has approved the appointment of Mr Emmanuel Aboh as the new Auditor General of the State.

    This is contained in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary Mr Tersoo Kula in Makurdi on Friday.

    Aboh, before his appointment was the Director of Audit in the Office of the State Auditor-General since 2015.

    The appointment takes immediate effect.

    He said the governor directed that all files and documents belonging to the office should be handed over to the new Auditor.

    Aboh holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting, Masters in Business Administration and Master of Science Degree in Development Studies.

    He is a Member of the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria (ANAN), Associate Member, Institute of Taxation of Nigeria (ITN), and a Member, Institute of Development Administration of Nigeria.

  • Benue uncovers 600 govt bank accounts

    Benue uncovers 600 govt bank accounts

    The Benue Government, says it discovered over 600 banks accounts operated by the immediate past administration.

    The State Commissioner for Finance and Budget Planning, Mr. Michael Oglegba, said this was contrary to the 25 bank accounts the administration was shown on assumption of office.

    The Commissioner said this on Tuesday when members of the Correspondents Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) paid him a courtesy visit in Makurdi.

    Oglegba said that the government uncovered the extra accounts from the information obtained through the Nigerian Inter Bank System.

    Oglegba said Gov. Hyacinth Alia had frozen all government accounts after taking over to enable the government understand what was on ground.

    “When we came in, we asked for the accounts and bank statements and we were presented with about 25 bank accounts.

    “A causal look at the Nigerian Inter Bank System showed that Benue Government has more than 600 accounts.

    “So the Governor needed to freeze those accounts to know exactly what was happening,” he added.

    Oglegba Gov. Alia has been able to reduce the state wage bill following ongoing audit of the system, adding that the process was still ongoing and actual figures would be announced when completed.

    On the state’s debt profile, he said both the state and local governments have a cumulative debt of over N359 billion.

    “The debts owed by the State itself was in excess of N200 billion. This includes local and foreign debts.

    “However, the LGAs also have their own debts, unpaid salaries, pensions, gratuities and local contractors that made up the other N150 billion.

    “The Alia administration has no reason to lie about the State debts.

    “We will be doing ourselves a great disservice if we say we own monies that we do not own. When we need loans for example who will give us?”

    The commissioner further disclosed that the handing over notes from the immediate past administration indicated that there were 19,000 pupils and 16,000 teacher, but which do not exist physically.

    He said that by the figure presented by the previous administration, it meant that the state has one pupil to one teacher ratio, which was false.

    Oglegba said the Alia administration has done so much within its five months in office without borrowing to meet its financial obligations.

    He said he has embarked on the construction of 16 township roads in Makurdi, installation of street lights, rehabilitation and remodeling of the state Assembly complex, and renovation of the state Secretariat, among others.

    He added that the government had also paid five months salaries in the last four months while all contractors handling government projects have been paid without collecting any loan.

    The commissioner urged members of the correspondents chapel to always be objective and ensure balance in their news reports, adding that the government would work closely with them.

    Earlier, Chairman of the chapel, Mr Emmanuel Antswen said they were ready to partner with the government to ensure that citizens were made abreast of government policies and programmes at all times.

  • No ransom paid for release of Benue kidnapped commissioner – Gov. Alia

    No ransom paid for release of Benue kidnapped commissioner – Gov. Alia

    Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue said no ransom or any monetary exchanges were involved in securing the release of his Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr Mathew Abo.

    This was contained in a statement on Thursday signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Sir Tersoo Kula and made available to newsmen in Makurdi.

    The governor stated that no ransom or monetary exchanges were involved in securing his safe release.

    “We can confirm that the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Matthew Abo, has regained freedom. He has since reunited with his family in Sankera, Ukum Local Government Area where he was abducted.

    “His release was as a result of intense pressure on the criminals from the gallant security operatives who were acting on the directives of Gov. Hyacinth Alia, who had earlier given marching orders to them to ensure Mr. Abo’s release,” he said.

    The statement further disclosed that the kidnappers were still holding the former Chairman, Ukum LGA, Mr Washima Erukaa and his cousin who discreetly went to negotiate with them for the release of Mr Erukaa but were also kidnapped.

    The former chairman was kidnapped at a different location and date.

    Gov Alia, who welcomed back the commissioner, further warned criminals operating within the state to leave for good, insisting that they would not be tolerated in any form.

    The governor commended the security operatives for ensuring the safe release of the commissioner and tasked them to ensure the safe release of the remaining captives.

    He charged the security operatives to be ruthless on criminals and ensure that they have no room to operate in the state.

    Mr Abo, who was kidnapped on Sept. 24, spent 10 days in captivity before regaining his freedom.

    Gunmen came on four motorcycles about 8:00 p.m., ordered everyone in the house, including the commissioner’s wife and children, to lie face down and took him away to an unknown destination on one of the motorcycles.

  • Benue PDP guber candidate to appeal against tribunal judgment

    Benue PDP guber candidate to appeal against tribunal judgment

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue and its candidate at the 2023 governorship election, Mr Titus Uba, have appealed against the judgment that upheld the election of Gov. Hyacinth Alia.

    The Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, led by Justice Ibrahim Karaye dismissed the petition filed by the PDP and Uba and upheld the election of Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sept. 24.

    The tribunal held that issues raised by the petitioners were pre-election matters and ought to have been entertained by the Federal High Court and not by the election petitions panel.

    PDP’s Publicity Secretary in Benue, Mr Bemgba Iortyom, stated on Wednesday in Makurdi that the PDP’s appeal was on 16 grounds.

    Notable among them, he explained, was the tribunal’s error in law on the issue of its jurisdiction to entertain the petition.

    “Our party and candidate fault the tribunal’s decision that the petition was a pre-election matter in spite of unambiguous statutory provisions and pronouncements of higher courts on the matter to the contrary.

    “The party is confident that the petition was established before the tribunal as the documentary depositions made by Alia’s running mate, Mr Samuel Ode, were forged.

    “Ode was not a candidate as his name was not submitted to INEC alongside that of Alia for the election as expressly required by law,’’ Iortyom stated.

    He added that the PDP and Uba had faith in the judiciary and remained optimistic that the appellate court would set aside the tribunal’s judgment and deliver substantive justice in the petition.

  • Benue not dumping ground for criminals – Gov Alia

    Benue not dumping ground for criminals – Gov Alia

    Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue on Tuesday said the State was not a dumping ground for criminals.

    He urged abductors of his Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism to immediately release him.

    Alia said this while addressing his supporters at the IBB Square in Makurdi on Tuesday to celebrate his victory at the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal on Saturday.

    He said those who kidnapped the commissioner had few hours to release him unhurt, adding that the state was not a dumping ground for criminals.

    The governor said lines must be drawn between the good and bad in the society, saying that homegrown terrorists and bandits have no place in the state.

    He commended the family of the abducted commissioner for their patience, and assured that security agencies would leave no stone unturned to ensure that he was released unhurt.

    Speaking on his achievements in the first 100 days in office, Alia said that he had already started construction of 16 township roads within the state capita.

    He said that other major towns would soon receive similar attention.

    Reacting to his victory at the Tribunal, he said that the decision of the tribunal was a reminder that one cannot toy with the mandate of the majority.

    He said that God had used him to bring back smiles on the faces of residents of the state.

    According to him, lot of things had gone wrong in the state but his government would do everything possible to rebuild and make it better for all.

    He said palliatives would soon be distributed to all 23 local government areas across the state, as the trucks of grains have arrived.

    On his plans for youths in the state, the governor said the ICT training programme which was slated to commence soon, would afford the youth the opportunity to acquire professional skills.

    He said his administration would ensure the return of all IDPs back to their ancestral homes.

    Alia said  that banditry and terrorism would not be allowed to have a place in the state under his watch.

  • Benue gov, Alia speaks on alleged rift with SGF, Akume over appointments

    Benue gov, Alia speaks on alleged rift with SGF, Akume over appointments

    Gov. Hyacinth Alia on Saturday said the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume, was his leader and he does not have any problem with him.

    Alia disclosed this during his maiden media interaction with journalists at the Government House in Makurdi.

    According to reports, there were speculations that there was crisis between the two because of the Governor’s choice of Chief of Staff and SSG.

    He said there was no single problem or crisis between him and the SGF, adding that Akume is his leader and leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North Central.

    “I don’t have any crisis with the SGF. He is my leader and the leader of the APC in the State and the Zone. People are creating their perceived crisis where there is no crisis.

    “As a State, we made plans to welcome him home but the entire North Central Zone, including the FCT, said they want to be part of it so the plans are on the way,” he said.

    The Governor also expressed shock that some people in the State accused him of choosing the leadership of the State Assembly explaining that he did not know anything about it.

    “I’m amazed that you said I chose the leadership of the State Assembly. I did not. I’m a Catholic Priest and we are trained to be at least trusted.”

    He said since assumption of office, he has started the renovation of the State House of Assembly and the State Secretariat which were all in very bad shape.

    The State Secretariat was built during the adminstration of late Gov. Aper Aku between 1979-1983.

    Alia said he discovered 2,500 ghost workers in the first phase of staff verification and payroll audit for teachers and staff of local governments which has saved the State N1.2 billion.

    He also said his administration was committed to peace building and the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the State.

    He said that upon assumption of office he has stopped all forms of illegal mining, multiple taxation among others for efficient and effective business environment.

    Alia disclosed that few minutes after taking his oath of office he froze all State accounts because people wanted to short change the State, adding that some of them are still frozen because he is yet to go through them.

  • No amount of propaganda can stop recovery of Benue assets – Alia

    No amount of propaganda can stop recovery of Benue assets – Alia

    Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue State, on Thursday said no amount of propaganda will stop the ongoing recovery of all looted state assets by the Assets Recovery Committee.

    This was contained in a press statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Tersoo Kula and made available to newsmen in Makurdi.

    He said his administration will use every lawful means to recover all looted assets of the state.

    “But what Ortom and his media men must know is that Gov. Alia and his government cannot be stampede. It remains focused and determined to use every lawful means in recovering all stolen assets that belong to the state.

    “Benue people who have been victims of the many years of the PDP maladministration are solidly behind the government and its mission to recover all stolen assets.

    “What those who are crowning themselves “witches’’ should know that the Assets Recovery Committee is on course and no amount of media facts-twisting and lie-peddling will stop them from carrying out their mandate based on their terms of reference,” he said.

    Kula said following information on vehicles illegally acquired and diverted by former governor and officials of his government by the Assets Recovery Committee, the PDP and Ortom’s media team had gone into a media overdrive.

    He said the enemies of the state have been issuing streams of statements, mostly contradictory, in a bid to muddy the waters and curry undue public sympathy since the recovery of exotic cars by the committee.

    “Governor Alia entered into a covenant with Benue people to deliver good governance and pull the state back from the precipice that he is committed to doing to the latter.

    “Alia is focused. He knows where he is heading to. Everything has a foundation and so is good governance.

    “If Alia succeeds only in entrenching discipline, bringing sanity to the management of state resources, prudent management of resources, accountability, transparency,  equity and inclusiveness, then other things will certainly fall in place,’’ he said.

    He said the PDP, its Publicity Secretary, and the former governor’s media should not think that media frenzy would twist the narrative and flip the issues in their favour.

    “Most of the youth penning down commentaries to support the greatest heist in the history of the state are graduates who are still riding motorcycles without jobs.

    “Alia led government is focused and its sights are set on delivering good governance to the people,’’ he said

    The State Assets Recovery Committee on Tuesday raided a private automobile workshop company in Makurdi and recovered over 20 exotic cars from it.

  • Benue gov, Alia denies witch-hunting Ortom

    Benue gov, Alia denies witch-hunting Ortom

    Gov. Hyacinth Alia of Benue said he was focused on governance and service delivery to the people and not after his predecessor, Mr  Samuel Ortom.

    Mr  Terver Akase, a media aide to Ortom and the State Publicity Secretary of  the PDP, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom, had accused Alia of  harassing and witch-hunting Ortom.

    This is contained in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Tersoo Kula on Wednesday in Makurdi.

    Alia said he was focused on governance and service delivery and do not have the time to go after Ortom or trivialities.

    He said that the Assets Recovery Committee inaugurated on June 22 was not to witch hunt anyone, but to recover government property sold and kept in the wrong hands.

    “Ortom was not and has never been the target, as his aide and the publicity secretary of his party would want the  Benue people to  believe in a bid to curry  public sympathy.

    “The discovery and recovery of numerous vehicles at a private building within the state capital by the committee, is an indication that they have truly swung into action.

    “In fact, all patriotic Benue citizens should be happy, and must commend the Committee for daring to carry out the assignment given to them by the government without fear or favour,”he said

    He said committees of this nature were not new in the State, adding that Ortom did same in 2015 and allegedly recovered items from individuals.

    “The discovery and recovery of numerous vehicles at a private building within the state capital by the committee, is an indication that they have truly swung into action.

    “But one thing is sure. Benue people were surprised to see the number of cars recovered at a property belonging to someone they once held in trust,”he said.

    Alia said Benue people witnessed a regime that was characterised by broad day rape of their common wealth.

    He said that his administration was out to render service to the people and not to engage in propaganda.

    “We witnessed a regime that supervised broad-day robbery and rape of our common patrimony. Let it be made abundantly clear that the old order is gone, and gone for good.

    “The good thing is that the discovery and retrieval of more Benue assets currently in the wrong hands, will provide the right ground for accountability in the Alia led administration in the state,”he said.

    The Assets Recovery Committee on Tuesday, raided a private automobile workshop company and recovered over 20 exotic cars from it.

  • I’ll not betray the mandate of Benue people like PDP – Alia

    I’ll not betray the mandate of Benue people like PDP – Alia

    Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has said that the Benue chapter of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, lack the moral justification to rate his 30 days administration, pointing out that reconstructing a collapsed system takes more time.

    The governor who was reacting to criticisms of his 30 days administration in an assessment by the PDP, reminded the major opposition to note that an administrations performance is not measured in a month .

    Alia whose reaction was contained in a statement signed by his chief press secretary Sir Tersoo Kula, made available to journalists at the weekend, argued that changing a collapsed system left behind by the immediate past government needed series of well- planned and properly guided steps, lamenting that Benue State ever it’s creation has never been this devastatingly raped and wrecked.

    The governor who said he was not complaining despite reckless abandon of civil servants and retirees for the past eight years of brazen misappropriation of alleged 28 billion naira collected from the federal government as bailout funds to offset backlog of salary arrears, a development that left workers on the path of misery for eight years despite monies coming into the state coffers from different sources including federal allocation, IGR and other interventions, described the quick fix request by the PDP as unfortunate, insisting that the task of resetting Benue is a covenant that he has chosen to keep and is not oblivious of the basic moral commitment.

    He further argued that doing appraisal and posing as voices for the same people the immediate past administration which imposed pains and penury for eight years  shouldn’t be done by the same vicious team and party that midwifed and nurtured the monstrous status and current challenges bedeviling the state.
    The governor described as nauseating for the PDP to have the courage and boldness to continue to lie to the people who are still bearing the brunt of the hardship brought upon them by the same party now claiming to be standing on abstract high moral grounds to raise voices of criticisms against a government that is demonstrating satisfactory capacity to tackle the challenges imposed on the people by the past administration.

    The governor who informed the public  that he was not interested in building his administration on propaganda and falsehood as was the case with the past government, said he was not complaining despite the wreck caused by the Ortom government which has placed much responsibility on his shoulders as what to be done, adding that aside from the approval and resumption of payment of salaries the PDP government left behind, renovation work on the almost dilapidated Benue Assembly complex is on going.

    ” For eight years under an Ortom administration the roof of Benue Assembly complex suffered severe leakages in the face of decayed furniture and moribund office equipments” Alia said, adding that within 30 days the administration has visited hot spots of crisis and equally interfaced with such communities to bring innovative ways of building lasting peace.

    The governor further revealed that within 30 days in office he has had critical meetings with investors within and outside the state to bring about development to the state, adding that within the same period under review the ill- timed appointments and last minute recruitments carried out by the PDP government at the twilight were revoked, expressing disappointment while the major opposition has chosen to turn a blind eye to these giant strides.

    The governor who said if former governor Samuel Ortom had done well in office as the PDP has now resulted to lying would have been elected senator and his party enjoying landslide victory in the last general election, advised the party to learn from it’s mistakes as well as stop lying since the attitude did not pay the party well, adding that Benue people should not worry about the future as he would not betray the mandate given him like Ortom and his party the PDP.

  • Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia sworn in as Benue gov, unveils 7-point agenda

    Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia sworn in as Benue gov, unveils 7-point agenda

    Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has been sworn in as the sixth Executive Governor of Benue, alongside his Deputy, Dr. Sam Ode.

    Born in 1966, Alia becomes the second priest of the Roman Catholic Church to rule the state since creation in 1976.

    Alia who was sworn in by the Chief Judge of Benue State, Hon. Justice Maurice Ikpambese, immediately froze all bank accounts belonging to the Benue State Government.

    “May I announce that with immediate effect and until further notice, all Government Bank Accounts in all Banks are hereby frozen. A ‘Post No Debit’ instruction shall remain in force until all Signatories are changed. Any Bank that violates this instruction does so at its own risk,” he warned.

    He said his administration would be guided by a seven-point development agenda featuring security of lives and property, industrialization, trade and investment, as well as human capital and social development.

    Other priority areas include care for the environment to mitigate the effects of climate change, investment in
    information and communications technology, Civil Service and local government systems reform, as well as the review of laws to make Benue state investor-friendly through political and economic governance.

    “My fellow Benue citizens, these seven pillars represent a Social Contract between our Government and your good
    selves. On these promises, we shall be held to account. You hired us with your votes to deliver on these promises. We will do everything in our powers to fulfill our side of the contract,” he promised.

    He promised to work closely with security agencies and the Federal Government to ensure the safety of lives and property of Benue people.

    “We will also work tirelessly to address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion.”

    The Catholic Priest pledged to prioritize job creation and economic empowerment by promoting private sector-led industrialization, with a particular emphasis on agriculture.

    As part of measures to address the perennial problem of flooding in the state, Gov. Alia said Government would engage the Federal Authorities towards the dredging of the River Benue to address the flooding problem in Makurdi and other parts of the state.

    According to him, Government has already set in motion machinery for clearing blocked drainage systems in Makurdi metropolis, pending when a comprehensive solution would be found to the perennial flooding of the state capital.

    “To provide immediate succour to the army of unemployed youth in the state, we shall execute this exercise through a public works scheme or direct labour”.

    He assured that in the next 100 days, work would commence on the design of a comprehensive infrastructure development programme involving unemployed graduate youth in continuation of government’s public works programme.

    “In addition, our industrial parks and technology incubation centers, designed to bring the best out of our youth and provide gainful self-employment, would be equally unveiled within the period.”

    To bring succour to the very poor people in the state, government had commenced negotiations with credible partners for soft revolving credit facilities based on good repayment record, particularly to women in all the council wards in the state, he said.

    “In addition, we have commenced discussions for revamping the moribund Benue Microfinance Bank and repositioning it as a vehicle for microcredit delivery in the state. This would domesticate the delivery of microcredit to the poor as a cardinal pursuit of our administration.”

    Alia is the second priest to govern the state as late Very Rev. Fr. Moses Adasu (12 June 1945 – 20 November 2005) became governor on 2 January, 1992, elected on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).