Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, and the federal lawmaker representing Ushongo/Kwande Federal Constituency, Terseer Ugboh, are on a collision course after the governor ordered the seizure of palliatives brought into the state by the federal lawmaker. the relief materials were being offloaded at a private residence in Makurdi instead of Kwande which was its final destination.
The governor, who spoke with journalists on Monday through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, said he was investigating the circumstances surrounding the palliatives that were diverted to a private residence.
The lawmaker had accused the governor of confiscating the palliatives meant for his constituency, with the truck impounded at the Government House.
The governor explained that there was a tip-off that some palliatives had been diverted to a private residence at Km2 along Gboko Road. “We received a tip-off that some palliatives meant for Kwande were being offloaded at a private residence at Km2 along Gboko Road,” Alia said in a statement on Monday.
While appreciating President Bola Tinubu for his support and interventions to the people of the state, Alia assured the people that the palliatives would be sent to the people of Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency once the investigation was concluded.
Ugboh, who had transported the palliatives from Jos in coordination with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), accused the governor of unjustly confiscating the materials.
He added that he had an agreement with NEMA to offload the relief materials at a warehouse in Makurdi, pending when a date for distribution to beneficiaries at Jato Aka would be fixed.
Rep. Terseer Ugbor, expressed dismay over the action of the state government and wondered why items meant for vulnerable people would be politicized in such a manner and added that he had expended over N5 million to convey the materials to the state.
He listed the items in the seized truck to include 578 bags of rice, 578 bags of garri, 578 mosquito nets, 578 mattresses, 578 pieces of wax print, 58 cartons of vegetable oil, 58 cartons of seasoning cubes, and 58 cartons of tomato paste.
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Ugboh further expressed frustration over the politicization of the issue and claimed to have spent over N5 million on the transport. “My image has been bruised by this action, and if the truck is not released by Tuesday, I will seek redress in court,” he threatened.
In response to this ordeal, the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia attest to the fact that the Truckload of palliative were seized.
He said, “It is true that the Benue State Government seized one of the truckloads of palliatives and diverted it to the Government House under the pretext that we planned to divert the materials.”
He confirmed that he ordered that SEMA officials to go after the palliatives and recover them.
According to him “SEMA boss, Sir James Iorpuu in the company of security personnel from Operation Zenda moved to the site where the trucks were and discovered that the palliatives were being offloaded in a private residence at kilometre 2, along Makurdi/Gboko road.
“Upon inquiry, it was discovered through the manifest that the palliatives come from NEMA, Jos, North Central office and the manifest indicated that the palliatives were brought in by the Federal lawmaker representing Kwande/Ushongo constituency Hon Terseer Ugbor.
“Government became worried wondering why palliatives meant for vulnerable people in Kwande would be offloaded in a private residence in Makurdi.”
He explained that the government did not seize the palliatives with the intention of diverting them as being alleged in some quarters but that it has demanded that the person who attracted the palliatives come and provide explanations before the truck can be released to him.
According to Governor Alia, it has been a standing policy that all palliatives sent to the state for IDPs and vulnerable people, either from NEMA, International agencies or other donor agencies usually pass through SEMA for transparency and accountability.
The Governor alleged that due process was not followed and that offloading those items in Makurdi instead of Kwande/Ushongo LGA where the beneficiaries are located was suspicious.
Alia urged the lawmaker to come and provide explanations on why the palliatives were being taken to a private residence before they could be released to him.
He also called on those alleging that Governor Alia hates Kwande people to desist from doing so, explaining that the relief materials were being confiscated and the state government distributed the same relief materials to IDPs in Kwande.
Ugboh, however, appealed to the people of his constituency, especially the displaced persons, to be patient as he assured them of the release of the seized truck.
