Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Benue State is heading to a constitutional crisis as the governor of the state, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia illegally awarded a whopping N6B Billion road contracts to M/S Triacta Nigeria Limited without bidding by contactors or approval of the State Executive Council.
Triacta Nigeria Limited is solely owned by a son of a former governor of Nasarawa state, Senator Tanko Al-Makura.
Recall that M/S Triacta was responsible for the construction of most of the roads in Nasarawa during the time of Al-Makura as governor of the state.
Meanwhile, investigation by this newspaper showed that Governor Alia awarded the contract to the company as a compensation to Al-Makura for his huge monetary donation to his election during the last general elections.
Recall that Alia flagged-off the construction of sixteen township roads in Makurdi yesterday even when the limit of the contract he can singlehandedly award is only N50 Million.
Alia did that without a budgetary provision or the approval of the State Executive Council which should have been responsible for the award of the said contracts that runs to N6 Billion.
Reacting to this, the Benue State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party has accused the state governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia of ruling the state like a dictator.
The state publicity secretary of the party, Mr. Bemgba Iortom who raised this alarm in a press statement this morning urged the people of the state to resist the suspension of constitutional rule in Benue State by the governor.
The Benue’s major opposition party condemned the award of contracts for the construction of 16 township roads in Makurdi by Governor Alia which is believed to be running to billions of Naira due to current cost standard.
The PDP maintained that the contract limit the governor can award is N50M but he sidelined the rule of law and awarded the construction of sixteen township roads which run to billions of Naira.
Although, Alia didn’t mention the cost of the contracts, sources at the Government House in Makurdi told Nigerian Concord Newspaper this morning that the cost of the newly awarded sixteen township roads contacts is N6 billion.
The statement reads in parts: “Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State raises the alarm that Governor Hyacinth Alia has suspended constitutional rule in the state and is running the government under his watch as a dictatorship.
“We hereby emphasize the duty placed on all men of good conscience to rise up and resist with every lawful means this danger looming over the state.
“Yesterday Governor Alia announced the award of contracts for the construction of 16 township roads in Makurdi the sum for which he did not disclose, but which obviously runs into billions of naira, by current cost standards.
“This is in addition to a contract earlier awarded by the governor for the renovation of the State Assembly Complex, the sum for which he also did not disclose, but which should be in the region of a billion naira.
“After 71 days in office Governor Alia had not even forwarded names of nominees for appointment into a cabinet as commissioners or Advisers, this too in gross violation of Section 147 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended by the Fifth Alteration No. 23 of 2023) which demands that he submit names of nominees for screening and confirmation as commissioners to be appointed into his cabinet within 60 days of his taking oath of office.
“Since assumption of office on May 29, 2023 up to this moment the governor has placed all financial accounts of the state government in various banks under a state of freeze, and he alone makes withdrawals from and closes them as he deems fit.
“By the award of those contracts yesterday, the Benue State Governor has violated provisions of BENUE STATE FINANCIAL INSTRUCTIONS which state unambiguously in Chapter 23, Section 2305 that the spending limit and approval permitted the governor in respect of contracts shall, in all requests not exceed N50,000,000.00 (fifty million naira).
“Furthermore, the procedure for processing bidding for contracts for subsequent awards to qualified contractors is laid down elaborately in the Benue State Public Procurement Law and involves the mandatory participation of a State Executive Council which the governor has up to this moment failed to constitute.
“PDP understands that Governor Alia is inclined to discharging the business of government as a sole administrator, a despot, a dictator, under a system not regulated by due process and rule of law, but which permits him unlimited powers.
“This, our great party will lead the charge in resisting through all lawful means, to safeguard the sanctity of democratic system of government which is in practice in Nigeria and Benue State.
“PDP will resist the budding dictatorship being incubated by Governor Alia in Benue State”