By Andrew Oota
The caretaker chairman for Apa local Government Area of Benue State , Hon. Ochayi Alidu ,who also doubles as Deputy chairman , Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Benue state chapter , has distanced himself from an online publication alleging he granted frivolous approvals for payments into some private accounts.
Hon. Alidu who described the publication as malicious, mischievous and willful attempts to cast aspersions on his integrity and create a false narrative of financial sleaze stated that the letter head- papers purportedly published as having emanated from his office are clear indications that the entire document was doctored .
According to the Apa caretaker chairman , the intention of the mischief makers was to mislead the unsuspecting public, particularly the good people of Apa .
According to the council boss, ” since assumption of office as caretaker chairman of Apa , I have consistently used the letter head papers with the inscription ‘Office of the Caretaker Chairman ‘, but in their hurry to plant mischief , they published my official letter headed with the inscription ,’ Office of the Executive chairman ‘, a nomenclature I have never used”.
Hon Alidu pointed out that the doctored documents shows the efforts of the mischief makers to pitch his administration against the peace loving and law abiding people of Apa with the intention to infuse negative and unfounded tendencies into there psyche,and create disunity in the local government.
He maintained that ,”that format used by this desperate mischief makers has been obsolete since my assumption of office on 6th of December,2023 whereas the document doctored with the letter heading of ‘office of the Executive Chairman ‘ has 27th December, 2023 when I was already in office as caretaker chairman.”
“I therefore urge members of the public to forthwith disregard the claim as it is false and fabricated with the intention to mislead the public and create a false and unfounded narrative of financial malfeasance “.
He stressed that the interest ,welfare and wellbeing of the people of Apa will always remain his priority in line with the vision and mission of the state Governor,Rev.Fr. Haycinth Iormem Alia .
He pointed out as council boss he will work assiduously to ensure that programmes and policies of the state Governor are fully implemented to the benefit of the people of Apa and will not be distracted by deliberate attempts of fifth columnists and proponents of mischief.
