N200 BILLION FRAUD ALLEGATION: ALIA MUST STOP HIDING AND ACCOUNT FOR BENUE’S MONEY

…Governor cannot monopolize control of state finances and evade responsibility for alleged Corruption

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State demands an immediate and comprehensive explanation from Governor Hyacinth Alia over the reported N200 billion financial scandal involving his administration, following reports that four senior government officials have been detained and questioned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

This is an allegation of monumental proportions that cannot be dismissed with the usual government propaganda, political theatrics or attempts to shift responsibility, which have become characteristics of the Alia administration. It concerns an enormous amount of public money belonging to the people of Benue State, and the Governor owes them an explanation.

More disturbing is the reported allegation that the financial transactions under investigation involve contract inflation, diversion and misappropriation of public funds, with claims that some of the activities were carried out under the Governor’s directives.

Governor Alia must understand that he cannot preside over the finances of a state, exercise extraordinary control over government accounts and then claim innocence or maintain a convenient silence when allegations of this magnitude emerge.

Since assuming office on May 29, 2023, Governor Alia has centralized control of the state’s financial operations, locking government accounts and concentrating financial authority within his administration. If, as reported, billions of naira have disappeared through questionable transactions, the Governor must explain how such funds were authorized, released, expended and accounted for.

The question Benue people are asking is simple: If the Governor has exercised such extensive control over the state’s finances, who should take responsibility for explaining the whereabouts of N200 billion in public funds?

It is unacceptable that four senior officials of the administration are reportedly in EFCC custody over allegations involving public funds, yet the Governor, who heads the government under investigation, has maintained suspicious silence.

Is Governor Alia suggesting that such an enormous financial scandal could have happened without his knowledge? Were the contracts awarded without his knowledge? Were the payments authorized without his knowledge? Who approved the transactions, and who benefited from them?

The Governor cannot impose and enjoy authoritarian powers of controlling the state’s financial machinery while attempting to distance himself from the consequences of decisions taken under his administration.

PDP wishes to make it clear that Benue State is not the personal estate of Governor Alia, and its treasury is not his private account. Every naira belongs to the people and must be accounted for. The EFCC must be allowed to investigate these allegations independently, professionally and without political interference.

Immunity is not a licence to evade investigation. The constitutional immunity granted to a sitting Governor under Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution does not place the occupant of the office beyond the investigative powers of anti-corruption agencies. The provision protects an incumbent Governor from being subjected to civil or criminal proceedings, arrest or imprisonment while in office; it does not prohibit the EFCC or other legally empowered agencies from investigating allegations of financial misconduct involving a governor.

Investigation and prosecution are two distinct legal processes. Therefore, Governor Alia cannot invoke constitutional immunity as a reason to avoid scrutiny. Where evidence establishes a case to answer, the law provides for prosecution when the immunity ceases to apply.

We therefore demand that Governor Alia:

1. Immediately address the people of Benue State on the reported N200 billion financial scandal and the circumstances surrounding the detention of four senior officials of his administration.
2. Explain his alleged involvement in the financial transactions under investigation and clarify whether any of the questioned expenditures were authorized by him.
3. Make public the relevant details of the contracts, payments and financial transactions implicated in the allegations, subject to the requirements of the ongoing investigation.
4. Cooperate fully with investigators and ensure that no government official is allowed to obstruct or compromise the investigation.
5. Account comprehensively for all funds received and expended by his administration since May 29, 2023.

Governor Alia must stop treating accountability as a matter of choice. Public office is a position of trust, not a shield against scrutiny.