Moro: Alia Did Not Dissolve Local Government Leadership In The State – Benue Govt Tells Senate

The Benue State government has called on the Nigerian Senate to rescind its decision on withholding revenue allocation to the local governments in the state

Naija News understands that the Senate had earlier resolved that the federal government should withhold allocation of funds to councils in Benue State without democratically elected officials following a motion brought to the floor by Senator Abba Moro representing Benue South Senatorial district.

Moro had alleged in his motion that the APC-led government in Benue State illegally dissolved the democratically elected local government system in the state, and replaced them with caretaker committees.

He therefore sought among others, an urgent intervention of the Senate in reversing what he termed “the unconstitutional sack of the elected executive and legislative arms of the local government areas.”

The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia had sacked the elected officials in all 23 LGAs of Benue State shortly after assuming office earlier this year and appointed caretaker committee only a week ago to man the affairs of the councils.

Addressing a press conference in Makurdi at the weekend, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, and Special Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in the state, Dennis Akura urged the senate to review its decision because it was taken in a haste.

The duo argued that the facts surrounding the situation were misrepresented by Moro and demanded the senator must apologise for misleading the senate.

They said, “Governor Hyacinth Alia did not dissolve the democratically elected Local Government leadership in the state. The Benue State House of Assembly that is vested with the constitutional powers to legislate over the local government did.

“Gov. Alia only appointed caretaker committees to avoid lacunas that would have been created following recommendations of the Benue State House of Assembly who investigated, indicted and sacked the 23 elected chairmen who were found to have perpetrated monumental fraud in their councils in active connivance with various councillors.”

Meanwhile, Emmanuel Eche-Ofun John, a media adviser to Senator Abba Moro, in a swift reply to the Benue government, insisted on behalf of his principal that it was illegal to release statutory federation allocation to illegal and unconstitutional contraptions called caretaker committees.