By Isaac Kertyo, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has officially handed over a truckload of diverted palliatives to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) for investigation.
In a press statement issued by Chief Press Secretary Tersoo Kula, Governor Alia confirmed that he had ordered the truck to be impounded at the Government House in Makurdi. He took this action after discovering that palliatives allocated by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) for distribution to internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Kwande and Ushongo Local Governments were being offloaded at a private residence in Makurdi.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the goods, which included items from NEMA, were intended for distribution by the Benue State Emergency Management Agency (BSEMA). Governor Alia expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the situation upon his return from the United Kingdom and revealed that some trucks carrying items like mattresses are still missing.
The Governor has directed the anti-graft agencies to coordinate with the three-member committee established by the Benue State Government to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the missing items.
