Governor Alia emphasised his separation from the decision.
By Ademu Usman Idakwo
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has unequivocally distanced himself from the dissolution of the local government councils within the state.
Making his stance clear, Alia, represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, addressed the public at a press conference held in Markudi yesterday.
While acknowledging awareness of the State Assembly’s authority, as conferred by sections 8 and 9 of the amended Nigeria Constitution of 1999, in dissolving the councils, Governor Alia emphasised his separation from the decision.
The governor said he was reacting to insinuations in some quarters as well , as the motion tabled before the Senate of National Assembly by Senator Abba Moro representing Benue South calling for withholding of monthly allocation to local government councils without a democratically elected leadership.
The Catholic Priest turned politician stated that the Senate should reconsider its decision to withhold allocations, pointing out that he had appointed caretaker committees to manage the councils until proper elections could be conducted.
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Alia maintained that his actions were in line with the House of Assembly’s recommendation to appoint caretaker committees for the 23 local councils in the state.
Governor Alia highlighted that the House of Assembly reached the decision after thorough scrutiny, considering audit and investigation reports that exposed financial embezzlement and significant fraud involving the local government chairmen and councillors.
He explained that the Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, misinformed the Senate by claiming there was a substitute judgment against the State Assembly’s actions.
He said, “Benue state Government appealed the judgment of the Industrial Court. The appeal was filed on the 24th of November, 2023 and numbered, Appeal No. CA/MKD/155/2023.
“We are calling on the Nigeria senate to always properly scrutinize their motion papers to avoid a repeat of what Sen. Moro led them into.
“It will be a gross disservice for our distinguished senators to allow some selfish ones amongst them to drag them to becoming a laughing stock.”
Recall that a Makurdi High Court presided over by the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, has dismissed the Motion on Notice, filed by the governor seeking to set aside the judgment obtained at the National Industrial Court, NIC, by the suspended 23 local government council chairmen of the state, restraining the state government from sacking them from office.
Makurdi Division of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, NICN, had in a recent judgment delivered by Justice Innocent Essien, restrained the governor, the Benue State Government, the Speaker of the State Assembly, and three others from “dissolving or suspending the elected council chairmen without due process before the expiration of their tenure in office on June 29, 2024.
The dissolved council chairmen have instituted contempt of court proceedings against Governor Alia and the Benue State House of Assembly for disobeying the existing court judgement.
