A fresh controversy has erupted over the management of public funds in Benue State as the Alliance for Truth and Democracy (ATD) has called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to submit his administration to public scrutiny over alleged irregularities in the award of road construction contracts across the state’s 23 local government areas.
In a strongly worded statement issued on Friday and signed by its President, Jerome Zoho, the civil society organization alleged that the state government announced the award of ₦5 billion road contracts to each of the 23 local governments, but claimed that the implementation process has raised serious concerns over transparency, procurement compliance and value for money.
According to the group, information available to it suggests that contractors were allegedly offered only 10 percent of the approved contract sums, a development it said resulted in the rejection of the offers and the apparent failure of the projects to commence.
ATD described the allegations as one of the most disturbing financial accountability concerns in the state’s recent history and urged the governor to provide full explanations to the public.
The organization also accused the Benue State Government of failing to provide comprehensive public disclosures on key financial matters nearly three years into the current administration. It said citizens deserve to know details of federal allocations, internally generated revenue, local government allocations, security vote expenditures, the state’s wage bill and the financial position of government accounts.
The group argued that transparency is a constitutional responsibility and warned that continued secrecy over public finances only fuels public suspicion, particularly at a time when the state has reportedly received significant revenues from FAAC allocations, increased income following fuel subsidy removal, internally generated revenue and development partner interventions.
ATD further questioned the cost of several major infrastructure projects, including the ₦68.3 billion Wurukum–Air Force Base Road, saying concerns surrounding the projects have not been adequately addressed by the government.
The organization expressed concern that despite substantial allocations to local governments over the past three years, many rural communities continue to suffer from poor roads, collapsing infrastructure and inadequate public services.
It also linked the accountability concerns to the state’s worsening security situation, noting that public resources should primarily be directed toward protecting lives, rebuilding affected communities and restoring economic activities.
The civil society organization called for an independent forensic investigation into the road contracts and demanded the publication of procurement documents, contract details, payment schedules and allocation records.
As of the time of filing this report, the Benue State Government had not issued an official response to the allegations contained in the statement.
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FULL STATEMENT
DIVERSION OF BENUE LG CONTRACT FUNDS: GOVERNOR ALIA MUST SUBMIT HIMSELF TO SCRUTINY
The Alliance for Truth and Democracy (ATD), a civil society organization committed to transparency, accountability, fiscal responsibility and good governance, is deeply disturbed by reports surrounding the recent award of road construction contracts across the 23 Local Government Areas of Benue State.
According to information available to our organization, Governor Hyacinth Alia announced the award of road construction contracts valued at ₦5 billion for each of the 23 local governments. However, credible reports reaching us indicate that the projects may have been structured in a manner that raises serious questions about transparency, value for money and compliance with established procurement procedures.
Our findings show that the contractors were offered only a fraction (10%) of the approved contract sums, leading to the apparent failure of all the projects to commence despite public announcements and withdrawals of the said refunds from the state coffers. The contractors outrightly rejected the offer of 10% of the contact sum! This development represents one of the most disturbing cases of financial misconduct and abuse of public trust in the history of Benue State.
This comes against the backdrop of several unresolved concerns regarding public finance management under the current administration. Three years into Governor Alia’s tenure, Benue people are yet to receive comprehensive and periodic disclosures regarding:
- Total federal allocations received by the state;
- Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) collections;
- Local Government allocations;
- The state’s wage bill;
- Security vote expenditures; and
- The actual financial status of government accounts.
Transparency is not a favour done to citizens; it is a constitutional obligation. A government that refuses to disclose basic financial information while simultaneously embarking on massive spending programmes inevitably invites public suspicion.
Available public records indicate that since May 2023, unprecedented financial resources have accrued to Benue State and its local governments through FAAC allocations, increased revenues arising from fuel subsidy removal, internally generated revenue, and interventions from development partners. Yet, the ordinary Benue person continues to grapple with unpaid entitlements, widespread poverty, deteriorating infrastructure and worsening insecurity.
Equally troubling are lingering questions surrounding several high-value projects awarded by the present administration, including the controversial 13km Wurukum-Air Force Base road project awarded at ₦68.3 billion and other contracts whose costs have generated widespread public concern. Rather than addressing these concerns with facts and documentation, the government has largely responded with silence.
The situation in the local governments is particularly alarming. Despite enormous allocations received over the last three years, there is little evidence of corresponding development across many council areas. Rural roads remain impassable, basic infrastructure is collapsing, and communities continue to suffer neglect. The people deserve to know how their resources are being utilized.
Even more concerning is the fact that these financial questions are arising at a time when Benue State continues to experience devastating security challenges. Communities are being attacked, innocent lives are being lost, villages are being destroyed, and thousands of citizens remain displaced. The expectation of the people is that every available public resource should be deployed toward securing lives, rebuilding communities and restoring economic activities—not becoming the subject of corruption allegations.
OUR DEMANDS
- An immediate independent forensic investigation into the road contracts reportedly awarded in the 23 local government areas.
- Full public disclosure of all allocations received by Benue State and the 23 local governments from May 2023 to date.
- Publication of all contract documents, procurement records, bid evaluations, contractors’ details and payment schedules relating to the projects.
- A comprehensive audit of security-related expenditures under the current administration.
- Investigation of all allegations concerning the acquisition of assets and expenditure of public funds by the state government.
- Appropriate prosecution of any individual found to have diverted, misappropriated or laundered public resources, regardless of status or position.
Governor Hyacinth Alia must understand that public office is a public trust. The resources of Benue State belong to the people and not to any individual. The governor cannot continue to operate behind a wall of secrecy while the people are denied information about how their commonwealth is being managed.
Signed
Jerome Zoho
President
Alliance for Truth and Democracy (ATD)
Benue State
