N47.8 BILLION BENUE LG FUNDS MISSING UNDER GOV ALIA

…Reason Why He Resisted LG Autonomy

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State was one of the Governors who strongly battled President Bola Tinubu at the Supreme Court to stop the granting of full financial autonomy to local governments in the country.

Details have emerged as to why Governor Alia was the first to raise a preliminary objection through his legal team anchored by the Benue state Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Matthew Mnyim at the Supreme Court over the local government autonomy move.

Information obtained from the Federal Ministry of Finance indicates that the 23 local governments of Benue State received a staggering total of N86,280,000,000 as allocations from the federation’s account between June 2023 and May 2024. That is an average of N7.1 billion federal allocation every month for the 23 local governments of the state.

Records from the Benue State Bureau for Local Governments and Chieftaincy Affairs have shown that before oil subsidy was removed, the monthly allocation for the 23 local governments put together was between N3.3 billion and N3.5 billion. Since President Tinubu ended subsidy payments and made more money available to the states, the allocation for the 23 councils in Benue State jumped to a minimum of N7.1 billion monthly, sometimes going as high as N8 billion.

Findings revealed that the wage bill for the 23 local governments of Benue State is only N3.2 billion a month. The N3.2 billion wage bill includes the salaries of core local government staff, health workers, teachers, traditional rulers and pensioners. This means that even if the allocation for the local governments is at its lowest which is now N7.1 billion a month, what is left is N3.9 billion.

Investigation at the Benue LG Bureau further showed that out of the N86.2 billion total for the local governments under Alia’s first year in office, the Governor has used only N38,400,000,000 (N3.4 billion) to pay workers and pensioners leaving a whooping N47,880,000,000 (N47.8 billion unaccounted for in the last one year.

It is on record that also within Alia’s first year in office, none of the 23 local governments has executed a single project, not even a public toilet, despite the monumental increase in federal allocations meant for the local governments. This is because the governor does not allow the councils to see any funds with which to carry out projects and meet other development needs.

Governor Alia has proven himself to be a leader of empty promises and deceitful intentions. During his 2023 governorship campaign, he boldly pledged to grant financial autonomy to the 23 local governments of Benue State if elected. However, one year into his tenure, Governor Alia has conveniently swept this promise under the rug, failing to even mention the issue of autonomy for local governments.

Despite benefiting from these substantial funds meant for the development and welfare of the local communities, Governor Alia has turned a blind eye to his campaign pledge and the rightful autonomy of the local governments.

The Supreme Court of Nigeria’s landmark judgment, which ruled that allocations meant for local governments should be paid directly to their bank accounts and not channeled through state governments, further exposes Governor Alia’s lack of commitment to transparency and accountability. His failed attempt, along with other governors, to prevent this decision from being made underscored his disregard for the rule of law and the best interests of the people he was elected to serve.

We urge the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), as well as other anti corruption agencies to beam their searchlights on Benue State and ensure that the N47. 8 billion meant for the 23 local governments of the state which are currently missing under Governor Alia are recovered.

As constituents and concerned citizens, we must demand transparency, integrity, and responsible governance from Governor Alia. Anything less would be a betrayal of public trust and a disservice to the people of Benue State.

Lastly, we commend President Bola Tinubu for his bold initiative to liberate local governments in the country from the stranglehold of governors such as Hyacinth Alia.It is indeed a bright day for Nigeria’s democracy!

Signed:

Amos Uchiv
President
Defenders of Democracy, DoD.