Benue PDP Demands Accountability for N44bn Intervention Funds

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to provide a detailed account of how he spent N44 billion in special intervention grants received from the Federal Government between August 2023 and 2024.

The demand comes after comments made by the leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Senator Tilley Gyado, who revealed at a stakeholders meeting in Makurdi that N44 billion in intervention funds had been received by the state in the past nine months.

According to Senator Gyado, the funds include N5 billion post-subsidy removal, N9 billion in infrastructural funds, and N30 billion in sub-national intervention funds.

However, the Benue State government and other states have denied receiving the alleged N30 billion sub-national intervention funds, as claimed by Senate President, Senator Godwin Akpabio.

The Benue Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Bemgba Iortyom, expressed shock at the revelation that the state government had received the funds, noting that Governor Alia had not disclosed the receipt of such funds to the public, except for the post-subsidy removal (palliatives) fund, of which he acknowledged receiving N2 billion and remained silent on the outstanding N3 billion.

The opposition party has criticized the lack of transparency and accountability in the governor’s handling of the funds, stating that the non-disclosure of the N44 billion federal intervention grants reinforces his policy of concealment and disregard for due process and the rule of law.

The PDP is calling on Governor Alia to come forward and explain how he utilized the N44 billion special grants, warning that failure to do so would only raise further suspicions about his administration’s lack of transparency and accountability.