A professional-democracy group, Involved Residents of Benue for Good Governance, has despatched a petition to the Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) to start investigation of Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, and his officers over alleged cash laundering, diversion of public funds to the tune of N66 billion and abuse of workplace.
That is the second petition bordering on embezzlement of public funds that has been despatched to the EFCC in opposition to the federal government of Alia in lower than one week.
A global attorneys’ group, World Integrity Campaign Community (GICN), had earlier written to the anti-graft fee to arrest, interrogate and prosecute the Particular Adviser to Benue Governor Alia on Bureau for Native Authorities and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dennis Akura and others for alleged diversion of over N20 billion belonging to the 23 native governments of the state.
Within the present petition additionally copied to the Director Common, Division of State Providers (DSS), Inspector Common of Police (IG) and the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Monetary Crimes, Involved Residents of Benue for Good Governance alleged that solely inside his first 4 months in workplace, Governor Alia’s administration diverted over N46 billion from the state coffers on pretend contracts and refurbished autos, amongst different phantom tasks.
“What is going on with Benue’s assets underneath the watch of Governor Alia is worse than a locust. Governor Alia has spent a whopping quantity of N46 Billion in simply 4 months in workplace awarding fictitious contracts, none of which is ongoing. Contracts are awarded to cronies with out due course of.
“In August, the governor introduced that his authorities had awarded contracts for the development of 16 township roads in Makurdi at the price of N6 billion. The highway tasks have been but to begin wherever within the state capital, when all of the sudden, Governor Alia introduced that the State Govt Council had given him approval to extend the contract quantity for the 16 highway tasks from N6 billion to N9 billion. The award of those contracts didn’t comply with due course of however solely accomplished as directed by Governor Alia,” the petition stated.
The petitioners identified that the States’ Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) regulation, in any other case often called Due Course of Regulation, is in existence within the state, however Governor Alia just isn’t obeying the regulation within the award of contracts.
They accused him of awarding the 16 highway contracts for the preliminary N6 billion when he was but to represent a cupboard in place.
The group additional acknowledged that data it had reliably obtained confirmed that the contracts have been over valued and used as conduit pipes for the advantage of Governor Alia, stressing that the tasks weren’t lined within the finances of the state and no approval was given by the state Home of Meeting.
It additionally urged the EFCC to analyze the procurement of buses the Alia administration claimed to have bought as palliative measures, alleging that the autos have been refurbished and their costs inflated to allow the governor and different authorities officers to divert the funds.
“On the fifth of September, 2023, Governor Alia launched N1,273,875,000.00 (N1.2 billion) for the procurement of 100 refurbished 2017/2016 Hummer buses for palliative measures and 50 pretty used Hilux 2018/2019 mannequin autos for different functions. The corporate often called Lajec Engineering Providers Ltd owned by some cronies of the governor got the contract to acquire the autos.
“Governor Alia once more on the twenty seventh of September, 2023, launched extra N736,375,000.00, for an unspecified variety of pretty used Hummer buses for palliative measures and pretty used Toyota Hilux (2018/2019 mannequin) for different functions with the (contract no. BSPPC-43/2023). The job was additionally awarded to Lajec Engineering Restricted.
“Once more on the twenty eighth September, 2023, the Alia authorities once more launched N2,236,000,000.00 (N2.2 billion) to Lajec Engineering Providers Ltd for the procurement of the identical refurbished Hummer buses and a few pretty used Toyota Hilux (2018/2019) mannequin autos,” the group acknowledged.
The petitioners additionally alleged that the governor spent a number of billions on his autos and people of different authorities officers together with state Meeting members with the procurements not following laid down procedures, a transfer they claimed was designed to profit the cronies of the governor.
The group accused Governor Alia of freezing all of the accounts of the Benue State Authorities whereas he allegedly makes frequent withdrawals at his discretion, relying on his private conviction, curiosity and precedence.
“It’s worthy to emphasize that the large looting of state funds is being diverted for private and primitive accumulation of wealth as evidenced by the acquisition of homes in New GRA, Makurdi, Guzape- Abuja, Maitama and Asokoro. And being an American citizen, the governor has by his cronies purchased homes in America,” it alleged.
The petitioners additionally alleged that the governor has launched into tasks solely as a way of siphoning funds of the state by the award of contracts such because the renovation of the state secretariat on the whooping sum of over N2 billion to a feminine buddy, whereas the contract is but to be executed.
It accused the governor of embarking on the development of a flyover on the Excessive Stage roundabout at the price of N6 billion in an space which by no means experiences site visitors congestion and which venture can be not captured within the finances and is now speaking a couple of comparable contract in Gboko.
It added that the flyover wouldn’t have any identified architectural designs and can solely function a way for fleecing public assets within the palms of the governor.
The petitioners puzzled why regardless of the large allocations accruing to the state following the elimination of subsidy, Governor Alia has chosen to disregard the essential elements of growth and has allegedly chosen to amass wealth for himself and his cronies.
The Involved Residents of Benue for Good Governance stated Alia has not demonstrated any iota of transparency and accountability regardless of the unprecedented federal allocations coming into the state on account of gas subsidy elimination, stressing that he has refused to clear the arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities.
It stated allocations have elevated by almost 70% since June 2023 at each state and native authorities ranges, but, the governor has not offered any data relating to how a lot his authorities is receiving and what’s being spent, including that the governor has been allegedly deducting big sums from the state treasury within the title of safety votes with out making use of the funds for the use they’re meant for.
The petitioners are additionally demanding that the EFCC ought to examine the governor’s Particular Adviser on Bureau for Native Authorities and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dennis Akura, and others for alleged diversion of native authorities funds.
The group additionally accused Alia’s authorities of embezzling N20 billion of native authorities funds between June and December 2023, alleging that the LG Bureau underneath the governor has been utilizing a few of its employees and privately-owned corporations to siphon the funds meant for native governments within the state.
The group additional submitted that the allegedly embezzled N20 billion is a part of the combination Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds which accrued to the 23 native authorities councils in Benue State between June and November 2023.
