Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The Special Adviser to Governor Hyacinth Alia on Financial and Economic Strategy, Planning and Development, Hon. Dennis Akura, has dismissed a report and recommendation by the Benue State House of Assembly which asked him to refund
1,782,000,000,00 which was claimed to be funds defraud in nine months on security while he held away as the Special Adviser at the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
Dismissing the report in a press statement he personally signed and made available to journalists this afternoon, Akura described the report as a disillusion, baneful disposition and force-hold.
The press statement reads:
I, Hon. Dr. Dennis Akura, immediate passed Special Adviser to the Executive Governor of Benue State on Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, has read with bombshell, the traduce document made available to the public on cyber space requesting for the Special Adviser on Bureau during his time to return the whooping sum of one billion seven hundred and eighty two million been avered as the funds embezzled on security vote within the period of nine months from effect to October, 2023 to June, 2024.
The doctored force allegation which lacks impirical facts was contained in the report of the adhoc committee constituted by the Benue State House of Assembly under the leadership of the Speaker, to investigate the activities of the Caretaker Committee Chairmen from June 2023 to June 2024.
For the sake of clarity, I will want the Benue State House of Assembly and the good people of Benue State to know following:
1. That during the allegedly period of time under-review, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia has granted a Quasi Financial autonomy to the local government which bestowed the local government the powers to independently spent their financial resources.
2. That, the only mandate bestowed on Bureau of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs was to disburse monthly Federal Allocation to the 23 Local Government Councils as well as monitor, supervise and coordinate the activities at the third tier of Government.
3. Its very unfortunate and unjust for the Benue State Legislators to alleged that funds are been siphoned into Special Adviser’s personal Accounts without supporting their claims by publishing the account(s) to the public for transparency, equity and justice to thrill.
4. That, during my time, strict monitoring was launched which guided the purchased of 50 Hilox and 300 hundred Bajaj motorcycles by the management of ALGON for donation to security and members of the local government Council across the 23 Local Government and other numerous achievements in area of Security.
4. It’s distraught and devastating that, a legislative entity such as the Benue State House of Assembly saddled with the responsibility of law making and could easily forget to follow due process by giving fair hearing to the accused person before passing their recommendations at the floor of the Chambers and avail same to the public.
5. Investigation of such magnitude is enough to consult the Auditor general for local government or hire a competent auditing firm as required by law to undergo a practical investigation on the critical matters of the income and expenditures at the third tier of Government before jumping into what I considered as ill-fitted and inappropriate recommendations
5. I, perceived the recommendations giving by the Benue State House of Assembly about the misappropriation of security vote funds at the Bureau as “bias and pursuance of personal aggrandizement”.
6. The ideal thing for the investigation Committee of the Benue Legislators was to consult their House Standing Committee on, Local Government Security and Chieftaincy Affairs to give them a first hand information on the operations of Security at the third tier of Government.
7. I want to clearly assured the Benue Masses that, all records of financial transactions monitored and inspected during my time at the Bureau are straight and intact & can be produced at any point i am summoned for prove.
8. It’s in view of the above that I called on the Benue people and Nigeria to disregard all the fictitious financial records availed in the cyber space by the Benue State House of Assembly.
10. I’m committed to ever remain loyal to the administration of Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, and to support him with all my ability and capability to continue bringing good dividends of democracy to the Benue people.
Sign,
Hon. Dr. Dennis Akura, JP, SA to the Governor on Financial and Economic Strategy, Planning and Development.