PDP wants Alia to accounts for 44 billion naira FG’s special intervention grants

From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to account for how he expended N44 billion naira special intervention grants received from the federal government between August 2023 to this year, 2024.
The PDP made the call following a startling revelation from the All Progressives Congress, APC in the State at a press briefing on Sunday night in Makurdi.
The APC had during the meeting passed a vote of confidence on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu while revealing that Governor Alia has received from the federal government the sums of N5 Billion as post-subsidy removal fund, N9 billion as Infrastructure Fund, and N30 billion sub-national Intervention Fund, collectively amounting to N44 Billion.
The call which was contained in a press statement signed by PDP State Publicity Secretary Chief Bemgba Iortyom also noted that the said interventions of N44 billion are outside the monthly federal allocations which have also increased by about 70% since the removal of fuel subsidy in May last year.
The party said it finds this revelation shocking as there has been no disclosure from the governor of receipt of such funds, with the exception of the post subsidy removal (palliatives) fund which, after much pressure from the PDP, the APC had accepted having received in part N2 billion, and thereafter had kept sealed lips over the outstanding N3 billion.
“If there was a N9 billion infrastructure fund and a N30 billion Sub-national intervention fund, the people of Benue State are only getting to know about it from the APC statement, and this by all standards of transparency and accountability is unacceptable.
“PDP is saddened that this non disclosure of N44 billion federal intervention grants by Governor Alia reinforces his policy of concealment and disregard for due process and the rule of law which underpin a style of governance that is in character a sole administratorship.

“We recall that on several occasions, our great party had urged the governor to give account of contracts awarded for projects without recourse to due process and extant financial guidelines and regulations, or disclosure of costs for such projects.”