1bn lawsuit: Benue lawmaker sues Gov Alia for defamation
Hon. Terseer Ugbor, representing the Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, has initiated legal proceedings against Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Benue State Government over allegations of diverting relief materials meant for internally displaced persons (IDPs).
N1 Billion Lawsuit to Support Displaced Persons over defamation of character
Ugbor has enlisted a legal team to sue the Alia administration for defamation, claiming the governor wrongfully confiscated a truckload of palliatives he secured from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA). The lawmaker is seeking N1 billion in damages, which he plans to invest in constructing a housing estate for displaced persons in his constituency.
The controversy began while Rep. Ugbor was attending the United Nations General Assembly in the USA, where he learned that Governor Alia had seized a truck carrying relief materials intended for the Kwande/Ushongo constituency. According to Ugbor, these materials were part of additional palliatives NEMA approved in response to his appeal for further assistance for his constituents.
However, a statement issued by Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, claimed that the truck was caught offloading relief materials at a private residence in Makurdi. The materials, according to Kula, were released from a NEMA warehouse in Jos and should have been lifted and distributed by the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
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The Benue State governor expressed dissatisfaction with the situation and ordered the truck impounded at Government House, directing anti-graft agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC), to investigate.
Rep. Ugbor, in a swift rebuttal, condemned the governor’s actions, accusing the Benue State Government of politicizing the issue. He described the confiscation as unnecessary and politically motivated, asserting that the palliatives had not yet been offloaded, and the truck was parked in front of a well-known warehouse, not a private residence as claimed.
Rep. Ugbor Vows to Clear His Name in Court for the defamation of character
In his statement, Ugbor vowed to clear his name in court and ensure the relief materials reach the intended recipients. “My efforts to support the transportation, storage, and distribution of palliatives to displaced individuals in Kwande have been a longstanding commitment. Unfortunately, this has seemingly provoked the governor’s displeasure,” he stated.
Ugbor further expressed regret over what he described as a “climate of political hostility” under Governor Alia’s administration, lamenting that in other states, such efforts would have been met with gratitude, not suspicion.
Read: Gov Alia, rep member bicker over seized palliatives
He called on his constituents to remain peaceful in the face of adversity, quoting Psalm 30:5: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
