Barely one week after he was sworn in as Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, a suspended catholic priest sacked all workers who were employed by his predecessor, Samuel Ortom.
While employing the workers, Governor Ortom had argued that the new workers would boost the state’s dwindling workforce. But Alia ignored such a reason and threw all the new employees back to the streets jobless.
Alia also reversed the promotion of some directors who were promoted to permanent secretaries by his predecessor.
On Thursday, July 11, 2024, the Supreme Court of Nigeria gave a judgment in the case brought before it by the Federal Government that allocations meant for local governments in the country should no longer be channeled through state governments but instead paid directly to the bank accounts of the local governments. Governor Alia and other state governors had filed a defense trying to stop the Supreme Court from making the decision but they failed.
Knowing that the game was over, Governor Alia moved quickly to increase the wage burden of the 23 local governments in his state. The Governor yesterday restored all local government employees of 2011 and 2012 who were relieved of their employment in 2015. Curiously, he did not restore the thousands of local government workers whom he sacked in 2023.
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Governor Alia’s action is not only hypocritical but also raises serious concerns about his leadership and integrity. His decision to increase the wage burden of the 23 local governments in his state by selectively restoring only certain local government employees while neglecting others is a clear display of double standards and injustice.
The Benue Governor’s decision to restore only local government workers of 2011 and 2012 is crafty and aimed at getting undeserved praise having lost control of local government resources following the Supreme Court verdict.
Alia’s move is also a blatant betrayal of his promise to grant local government autonomy. It goes to show the darkness that has filled this man’s heart. Alia’s failure to uphold his campaign pledge to support local government autonomy, especially in light of the recent Supreme Court ruling, reveals a lack of commitment to good governance and transparency.
He has often been accused of mismanaging funds meant for local governments in the state to the tune of N47.8 billion, and this has deepened the concerns surrounding the Governor’s administration. By allegedly misappropriating funds that are intended for the development and welfare of local communities, Governor Alia is not only failing in his duty as a leader but also betraying the trust of the people he was elected to serve.
We condemn Governor Alia’s double standards, hypocrisy, and alleged mismanagement of local government funds. It is imperative that leaders at all levels of government uphold their promises, act with integrity, and prioritize the well-being of their people. The people of Benue State deserve leaders who are transparent, accountable, and committed to advancing their interests. Governor Alia’s actions fall short of these standards and should be met with rightful scrutiny and criticism.
Signed:
Aloysius Gbakaan
President,
ALLIANCE FOR TRUTH AND JUSTICE
