Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has explained the reasons behind the confiscation of palliatives belonging to Terseer Ugboh, a member of the House of Representatives representing the Ushongo/Kwande Federal Constituency.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, on Monday, the governor said the palliatives were seized following an investigation into reports that they had been diverted to a private residence.
The lawmaker, Ugboh, had earlier accused the governor of impounding a truck of palliatives meant for his constituency, which was taken to the government house.
Governor Alia clarified that a tip-off had alerted his administration that the palliatives were being diverted to a residence along Gboko Road. “Upon receiving this information, the governor instructed the Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to locate the residence and move the truck to the government house,” he said.
The governor added that the relief materials were secured from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Jos. However, he noted that proper protocol was not followed, as the palliatives had not been registered with the SEMA office in Makurdi, as required. Alia also stated that stakeholders and traditional rulers in the constituency were unaware of any palliatives intended for their areas.
While expressing gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for his support to the state, Governor Alia assured that the palliatives would be distributed to the people of the Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency once investigations were completed.
In response, Ugboh, speaking via phone, stated that he had transported the relief materials from Jos to Benue in collaboration with NEMA. He said the items were supposed to be temporarily stored in a Makurdi warehouse before being distributed to beneficiaries in Jato Aka. The lawmaker criticized the governor’s actions, describing them as politically motivated, and revealed that he had spent over N5 million to transport the materials.
Ugboh listed the seized items as including 578 bags each of rice, garri, mosquito nets, mattresses, and wax prints, along with 58 cartons each of vegetable oil, seasoning cubes, and tomato paste. He expressed disappointment that his reputation had been tarnished by the state’s actions and threatened legal action if the truck was not released by Tuesday.
Despite the conflict, Ugboh called on his constituents, especially displaced persons, to remain patient while efforts were made to resolve the issue and secure the release of the palliatives.
