On Monday, August 07, 2023 Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Dr Hyacinth Iormem Alia flagged off the construction of sixteen(16) roads in Makurdi metropolis.
According to a report by Isaac Uzaan, the sixteen roads measuring 15. 39 Km within Makurdi metropolis is his commitment to revolutionize the infrastructure of Benue State.
Uzaan report reads partly: “Governor Alia said the construction of the roads will not only improve transportation within the city, but also create job opportunities and stimulate economic growth.
“He commended the Ministry of Works and Transport for its dedication and diligence in planning the projects, and urged them to maintain the highest level of professionalism in supervising the works.
“The Governor urged the contractor (Tracta Nigeria Limited) to adhere to the specific requirements and complete the work within the stipulated time frame of eleven (11) months.
“Relatedly, Governor Hyacinth Alia also flagged of Renovation of the Benue State Secretariat Complex, the exterior of which is already shown at the entrance of the complex.”
THE REACTIONS
While others have commended the Governor Alia for embarking on such projects, some others have described his unilateral approvals of huge amount of money, purportedly, amounting to billions of naira as an impeachable offence.
The argument is based on the fact that the approval limit of a governor is fifty million, (50, 000,000), and amount above the fifty million, must be approved by the state Executive Council.
As of today, Governor Alia has not formed a state Executive council, he has not formed a cabinet of commissioners and advisers to give such approvals for such huge amount of money for capital projects. So, the question is how could he alone approve billions, when his limit is fifty million naira.
PDP RESPONSE
As the arguments continue, the state Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, through its Publicity Secretary, Bemgba Iortyom, responded with a statement captioned: “GOV. ALIA’S SUSPENSION OF CONSTITUTIONAL RULE IN BENUE MUST BE RESISTED.”
The opposition party faulted the Benue state governor’s actions, describing his actions as that of a sole administrator.
The statement reads: “Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State raises the alarm that Governor Hyacinth Alia has suspended constitutional rule in the state and is running the government under his watch as a dictatorship.
“We hereby emphasize the duty placed on all men of good conscience to rise up and resist with every lawful means this danger looming over the state.
“Yesterday Governor Alia announced the award of contracts for the construction of 16 township roads in Makurdi the sum for which he did not disclose, but which obviously runs into billions of naira, by current cost standards.
“This is in addition to a contract earlier awarded by the governor for the renovation of the State Assembly Complex, the sum for which he also did not disclose, but which should be in the region of a billion naira.
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“After 71 days in office Governor Alia had not even forwarded names of nominees for appointment into a cabinet as commissioners or Advisers, this too in gross violation of Section 147 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended by the Fifth Alteration No. 23 of 2023) which demands that he submit names of nominees for screening and confirmation as commissioners to be appointed into his cabinet within 60 days of his taking oath of office.
“Since assumption of office on May 29, 2023 up to this moment the governor has placed all financial accounts of the state government in various banks under a state of freeze, and he alone makes withdrawals from and closes them as he deems fit.
“By the award of those contracts yesterday, the Benue State Governor has violated provisions of BENUE STATE FINANCIAL INSTRUCTIONS which state unambiguously in Chapter 23, Section 2305 that the spending limit and approval permitted the governor in respect of contracts shall, in all requests not exceed N50,000,000.00 (fifty million naira).
“Furthermore, the procedure for processing biddings for contracts for subsequent awards to qualified contractors is laid down elaborately in the Benue State Public Procurement Law and involves the mandatory participation of a State Executive Council which the governor has up to this moment failed to constitute.
“PDP understands that Governor Alia is inclined to discharging the business of government as a sole administrator, a despot, a dictator, under a system not regulated by due process and rule of law, but which permits him unlimited powers.
“This, our great party will lead the charge in resisting through all lawful means, to safeguard the sanctity of democratic system of government which is in practice in Nigeria and Benue State.
“PDP will resist the budding dictatorship being incubated by Governor Alia in Benue State.”
Another response came from an article “ALIA CAN NOT CONTINUE TO RUN BENUE LIKE A MONARCH” authored by Orkuma Adzua Ikyur Madah
Madah described Governor Alia’s Government as monarchical.
He said: “A troubling trend of Governor Alia failing to form his cabinet long after assuming office is undermining progress at the sub-national level.
“ Operating for months without an executive council, taking arbitrary and unilateral decisions on critical state matters. The implications of this are many. For instance, the system of monitoring and evaluating public policy becomes weak and the quality of governance is poor.
“Alia must be told that democracy presupposes participation. It is about engagement and running an inclusive government for the common good of the people. A governor is not expected to run state affairs unilaterally. Progress comes through a fusion and cross-fertilization of ideas, and ingenuity since governance is about service delivery. No man is an island and anyone who feels he can achieve progress on his own has no business in public service.
“Making appointments is not rocket science. It only requires giving the right job to the right people and ensuring that they pursue the agenda of the government under the law so that the state can function optimally. Alia must understand that making appointments is not optional, but mandatory by the office he holds, and failure to do so is an abuse of the constitution. A government without an executive council is like a public trading company without a board. It not only undermines service delivery and performance but promotes absolutism in governance.
“In case Alia has misinterpreted the government administration to the running of the church, it is time he needs formal knowledge of the current office he occupies. Alia must know that he can’t be spending money daily without commissioners and an executive council duly constituted. It is a violation of the law.
“It must be very important that Alia understands that the Executive Council ( informally known as cabinet) is the highest formal government body in the state. The cabinet is responsible for advising and assisting the governor in the performance of his official duties. These commissioners preside over ministerial departments, along with special aides and advisors to the governor hence, they are not just political junk headquarters as the governor may be thinking of.
“Ior-Amenga” cannot continue to run Benue like a monarch. He should form his cabinet at once.”
MISAPPROPRIATION
A social media commentor, Tim Nyor, called on the governor to tread with cushion lest he wears the cassock of misappropriation, adding that he needs to consult his legal adviser to avoid falling in the pit.
“What Alia needs more than anything else at this time, is legal advice.
He needs to consult with his intended AG, to be legally guided on many fronts.
“I see too many gaps and loopholes that will come back to haunt him.
“For instance, this is misappropriation of funds.
Misappropriation does not mean stealing, but it is an impeachable offence.
The governor has no authority to singlehandedly award contracts above 50m.
“Again, this is extra budgetary without a House of Assembly in place to capture in the supplementary budget. But it appears the committee is all-knowing and all-powerful so….”
Another social commentator and lawyer, Kamo Sende, asked, without a cabinet in place how were the contracts approved amongst other salient questions, stressing that there are gaps in the award of the contracts.
“Alia and the APC media have shown photos of a flag off within Makurdi. I have been asked a few questions in private as an Alia supporter and I am reproducing them here;
- Which companies bidded and won the contracts?
- Which exco approved them?
- Under which budgetary allocation was the road captured?
- Which HoA approved same?
- Should the priority in Benue, coming out of the locust years, not be salaries and pensions?
“Alia must dump the last administration’s playbook and begin to work like a government that was voted in on trust. The need for photo ops and showmanship will consume him faster than any other thing in maladministration.
“We do not have the patience for this razzmatazz. Alia must get off his “social media influencer” status and begin to work. His honeymoon is coming to an end and he is the only one yet to realize — he will be shocked!
