Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia has described as untrue report that his administration is deliberately working against lawmakers purportedly loyal to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
The governor made the declaration while reacting to report by a group known as ‘Alliance for Good Governance accusing him of denying some lawmakers their constituency allowance and official vehicles.
According to Gov Alia’s technical Adviser on Media Publicity and Strategic Communication, Solomon Iorpev, contrary to the group the governor carries all members of the state assembly along.
He added that on the state assembly members have reached an agreement with the governor over the lapses in the procurement of vehicles and other issues affecting the members.
He said, “If anything is happening, it’s for a reason and am sure the lawmakers also understand, that is the reason none of them has raised any eyebrows.
“So, if anyone is speaking from outside why are they crying more than the bereaved. The governor and the lawmakers have reached an agreement.
The group’s National Coordinator and Secretary, Comrade Jide Sanwo and Kenneth Nwakocha respectively have claimed in a statement issued and made available to newsmen in Makurdi that some lawmakers loyal to SGF have been denied constituency allowance and official vehicles.
However, it threatened to mobilize citizens of the constituency of the affected lawmakers to protest what they termed as injustice against the lawmakers.
The group decried the governor’s decision to deny some lawmakers of their constituency allowance amounting to N30 million each as well as official vehicles.
According to the group, “Constituency allowance is for constituent’s benefits and not for legislators personal emoluments but to address socio-economic challenges, development interest and other sundry issues of the constituents.”
The group noted that lawmakers are not only elected to make laws for the good of their constituents, the group said that the lawmakers also need to provide dividend of democracy to their constituents.
“They need to provide things such as addressing hydra headed security challenges, construction of feeder roads, provision of portable water and drilling of borehole, building culverts and schools, repair and fixing of dilapidated infrastructures, assisting and support the poor and the vulnerable, the orphans and the widows among others.
The group further said, “In addition six members of the group tagged Akume boys are yet to be given their official cars over one year after their inauguration and no allowances paid to foot their transportation bills for them to carry out their oversight functions.
“We have the capacity to mobilize citizens of the affected constituencies on march the state capital to demand for the release of the allowances of affected lawmakers.
Also shedding light on issues in the state assembly, the Majority Leader, Saater Tiseer adduced the delay in procurement of enough vehicles to lawmakers to the autonomy of the state assembly.
According to him, the assembly got its autonomy after the 2024 budget had been passed,, saying that the allocation for the assembly could not meet some of its obligations after payment of salary.
He added that the governor had promised to include all issues in the 2025 budget.
Tiseer said, “No member has received N30 million as consistency project, though, what each member received varies, some N15 million, some N10 million, we are engaging the governor to do all these things, the shortfall is as a result of autonomy that the house got after 2024 budget was passed.
“On vehicles, we are 32 members and the vehicles brought was not up to that, seven members are yet to get their official vehicles also the speaker still needs a vehicle.
He added, “There is no discrimination in the sharing of vehicles even the member who contested the speakership with the speaker (loyalist of Akume) and most of those who voted her have received their official vehicles.
