Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has handed over a truckload of palliatives, which he impounded, to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) for further investigation.
This was revealed in a press statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, and made available to the media in Makurdi on Wednesday.
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The truck, which was meant to deliver palliatives to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency, was caught offloading its contents at a private residence along Kilometre 2 in Makurdi.
Upon learning of this, Governor Alia ordered the truck to be confiscated and moved to the Government House for clarification on why the relief items were being diverted.
According to the statement, the palliatives, loaded from a National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) warehouse in Jos, were intended for distribution to IDPs in the Kwande/Ushongo federal constituency.
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However, it was discovered that the truck had been directed to the private residence under the instruction of Mr. Terseer Ugbor, the federal representative for the constituency.
Governor Alia expressed his displeasure after preliminary investigations revealed that the palliatives, sponsored by NEMA and the state government, were not being delivered to their intended destination.
The governor stated that the materials were supposed to be handed over to the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for proper distribution to the affected individuals.
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In a letter from NEMA, the agency confirmed that the Benue State government was responsible for the transportation costs and that the relief items were to be delivered directly to SEMA.
However, discrepancies emerged regarding the handling of the palliatives.
Governor Alia also disclosed that other trucks carrying essential materials like mattresses had gone missing and urged anti-corruption agencies to conduct a thorough investigation.
He tasked the EFCC and ICPC, along with a state-appointed three-man committee, to uncover any hidden facts and ensure accountability in the distribution process.
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Meanwhile, the federal lawmaker, Mr. Terseer Ugbor, who had facilitated the release of the palliatives, defended his actions, stating that he had transported the items in collaboration with NEMA.
He explained that the materials were temporarily offloaded in Makurdi for storage until a distribution date was agreed upon.
Ugbor expressed regret that the situation had been politicized and revealed that he had spent over N5 million to transport the palliatives from Jos to Benue State.
He criticized the governor’s decision to seize the truck and divert it to the Government House, calling the move unjust.
The seized items 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.
Governor Alia has called on the relevant authorities to ensure the palliatives reach the intended beneficiaries and to maintain transparency throughout the investigation process.
