A pro-democracy group, Concerned Citizens of Benue for Good Governance, has sent a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to begin investigation of Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, and his officials over alleged money laundering, diversion of public funds to the tune of N66 billion and abuse of office.

This is the second petition bordering on embezzlement of public funds that has been sent to the EFCC against the government of Alia in less than one week.

An International lawyers’ group, Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), had earlier written to the anti-graft commission to arrest, interrogate and prosecute the Special Adviser to Benue Governor Alia on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dennis Akura and others for alleged diversion of over N20 billion belonging to the 23 local governments of the state.

In the current petition also copied to the Director General, Department of State Services (DSS), Inspector General of Police (IG) and the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes, Concerned Citizens of Benue for Good Governance alleged that only within his first four months in office, Governor Alia’s administration diverted over N46 billion from the state coffers on fake contracts and refurbished vehicles, among other phantom projects.

“What is happening with Benue’s resources under the watch of Governor Alia is worse than a locust. Governor Alia has spent a whopping amount of N46 Billion in just four months in office awarding fictitious contracts, none of which is ongoing. Contracts are awarded to cronies without due process.

“In August, the governor announced that his government had awarded contracts for the construction of 16 township roads in Makurdi at the cost of N6 billion. The road projects were yet to start anywhere in the state capital, when suddenly, Governor Alia announced that the State Executive Council had given him approval to increase the contract amount for the 16 road projects from N6 billion to N9 billion. The award of these contracts did not follow due process but only done as directed by Governor Alia,” the petition said.

The petitioners pointed out that the States’ Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) law, otherwise known as Due Process Law, is in existence in the state, but Governor Alia is not obeying the law in the award of contracts.

They accused him of awarding the 16 road contracts for the initial N6 billion when he was yet to constitute a cabinet in place.

The group further stated that records it had reliably obtained showed that the contracts were over valued and used as conduit pipes for the benefit of Governor Alia, stressing that the projects were not covered in the budget of the state and no approval was given by the state House of Assembly.

It also urged the EFCC to investigate the procurement of buses the Alia administration claimed to have purchased as palliative measures, alleging that the vehicles were refurbished and their prices inflated to enable the governor and other government officials to divert the funds.

“On the 5^th of September, 2023, Governor Alia released N1,273,875,000.00 (N1.2 billion) for the procurement of 100 refurbished 2017/2016 Hummer buses for palliative measures and 50 fairly used Hilux 2018/2019 model vehicles for other purposes. The company known as Lajec Engineering Services Ltd owned by some cronies of the governor were given the contract to procure the vehicles.

“Governor Alia again on the 27^th of September, 2023, released additional N736,375,000.00, for an unspecified number of fairly used Hummer buses for palliative measures and fairly used Toyota Hilux (2018/2019 model) for other purposes with the (contract no. BSPPC-43/2023). The job was also awarded to Lajec Engineering Limited.

“Again on the 28^th September, 2023, the Alia government again released N2,236,000,000.00 (N2.2 billion) to Lajec Engineering Services Ltd for the procurement of the same refurbished Hummer buses and some fairly used Toyota Hilux (2018/2019) model vehicles,” the group stated.

The petitioners also alleged that the governor spent several billions on his vehicles and those of other government officials including state Assembly members with the procurements not following laid down procedures, a move they claimed was designed to benefit the cronies of the governor.

The group accused Governor Alia of freezing all the accounts of the Benue State Government while he allegedly makes frequent withdrawals at his discretion, depending on his personal conviction, interest and priority.

“It is worthy to stress that the massive looting of state funds is being diverted for personal and primitive accumulation of wealth as evidenced by the purchase of houses in New GRA, Makurdi, Guzape- Abuja, Maitama and Asokoro. And being an American citizen, the governor has through his cronies bought houses in America,” it alleged.

The petitioners also alleged that the governor has embarked on projects only as a means of siphoning funds of the state through the award of contracts such as the renovation of the state secretariat at the whooping sum of over N2 billion to a female friend, while the contract is yet to be executed.

It accused the governor of embarking on the construction of a flyover at the High Level roundabout at the cost of N6 billion in an area which never experiences traffic congestion and which project is also not captured in the budget and is now talking about a similar contract in Gboko.

It added that the flyover do not have any known architectural designs and will only serve as a means for fleecing public resources in the hands of the governor.

The petitioners wondered why despite the huge allocations accruing to the state following the removal of subsidy, Governor Alia has chosen to ignore the basic aspects of development and has allegedly chosen to amass wealth for himself and his cronies.

The Concerned Citizens of Benue for Good Governance said Alia has not demonstrated any iota of transparency and accountability despite the unprecedented federal allocations coming into the state as a result of fuel subsidy removal, stressing that he has refused to clear the arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities.

It said allocations have increased by nearly 70% since June 2023 at both state and local government levels, yet, the governor has not provided any information regarding how much his government is receiving and what is being spent, adding that the governor has been allegedly deducting huge sums from the state treasury in the name of security votes without applying the funds for the use they are meant for.

The petitioners are also demanding that the EFCC should investigate the governor’s Special Adviser on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dennis Akura, and others for alleged diversion of local government funds.

The group also accused Alia’s government of embezzling N20 billion of local government funds between June and December 2023, alleging that the LG Bureau under the governor has been using some of its staff and privately-owned companies to siphon the funds meant for local governments in the state.

The group further submitted that the allegedly embezzled N20 billion is part of the aggregate Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds which accrued to the 23 local government councils in Benue State between June and November 2023. (THISDAY)

Update news