Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The governor of Benue state, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia has accused the stakeholders of the All Progressive Congress in the state of standing in the way of Benue progress by fighting every sitting governor who fails to yield to their monetary demands.
Governor Alia who made this accusation in a statement signed by his media Aide, Tersoo Kula while reacting to what he termed a mere “family dinner” which was organized by the stakeholders yesterday at the residence of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume in the face of the ban which he had placed on political gatherings across the state.
“It is worrisome that this group of stakeholders have stood in the way of Benue progress for a long time, preferring party politics to governance such that once elections are over, they would distract the winners until they are frustrated to leave the party and pave way for them to start feasting on new aspirants. To them, you are good only when you are contesting elections” the governor said in the statement.
Recall that speakers at the yesterday meeting which held at Senator Akume’s Makurdi house accused Governor Alia of mismanaging a sum of 44 billion naira given to Benue state, aside federal allocations.
But the governor in his reaction said the allegation was made against him by the stakeholders so they could discredit his administration.
He accused the stakeholders of being used to Benue state government funds to an extent that once they are denied access, they can go to any length to bring down any serving governor.
Speaking on the allegations of frauds against him, the statement said the governor has never hidden any funds released to his administration. “When the 2 billion, out of the 5 billion palliatives support was given to Benue, His Excellency was among the first governors to announce receipt of the money; he went ahead and gave an expenditure account, covering the purchase of new buses at Benue Links and fertilizer to farmers” the statement reads in parts.
Speaking on the meeting, the statement said: “By holding a political meeting against a state order in the Makurdi residence of Senator George Akume who is himself a former governor, the SGF has again exposed himself as one who is beating the drums of war for the stakeholders to have an affront on the governor; this is highly unpatriotic and condemnable”