•Governor Alia
A pro-democracy, anti-corruption and justice sector civil society organisation, Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC)/to arrest, interrogate and prosecute the Special Adviser to Benue governor, Hyacinth Alia on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dennis Akura and others for alleged diversion of local government funds.
The petition which was written on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, was received and acknowledged on Monday at the headquarters of the anti-graft agency in Abuja, reports Daily Independent.
In the petition also sent to President Bola Tinubu, the Director-General, Department of State Services, DSS and the Media, GICN, the group made up of lawyers, private investigators, human rights activists, media professionals and policy analysts, accused Akura and others of supervising brazen embezzlement and diversion of over N20 Billion being part of aggregate Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) funds which accrued to the 23 Local Government Councils in Benue State between June to November 2023.
It said the LG Bureau under Governor Alia has been using some of its staff and privately-owned companies to syphon the funds meant for local governments in the state.
GICN further stated that it had been inundated with complaints and documents from whistleblowers showing that the office of the Special Adviser to Governor Alia on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs has become a conduit pipe for high-level corrupt practices, massive fraud and other sundry offences which prompted its petition to the anti-graft commission.
“From the records attached as APPENDIX 2A and 2B, the aggregate FAAC allocation received in the State Joint Local Government Account (SJLGA), maintained under Section 162(6) of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria (as amended) for onward disbursement to the 23 Local Government Councils within the period under review total N55, 897,592,592.81 only.
