By Amos Aar
THE YONGO-TIEV Community Development Association (YTCDA), an umbrella socio-cultural body of the Mbayongo-Tiev people of Vandeikya LGA of Benue State, on Tuesday launched a robust defence of Governor Hyacinth Alia, dismissing a ₦345.3 billion fraud petition as “baseless and illogical.”
YTCDA, at a press conference held at the Benue State Secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Makurdi, dismissed the embezzlement claims against Governor Alia by former governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Joseph Waya, as fabricated, baseless and illogical.
According to the group, its examination of the state’s financial data found the explosive allegations to be entirely made-up.
Speaking on behalf of YTCDA President (Mr. Ankulugh Jita, who though was present), a former deputy director of currency at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and chairman of Novus Microfinance Bank, Dr Kpough Tule, said the group examined Waya’s allegations and found them to be fabricated, stressing that the state’s financial data contradicts the claims.
According to Tule, the petition was riddled with falsehood and lacked credible evidence. He argued that Benue’s total receipts make the embezzlement allegation impossible.
Citing records, Tule said from May to December 2023, Benue received ₦87.039 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC), and that 2024 allocations were estimated at ₦135.67 billion with ₦26 billion in Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), while the 2025 estimates project ₦142.45 billion FAAC and ₦28.6 billion IGR.
He noted that when combined, the state’s projected revenue from May 2023 to December 2025 is ₦419.759 billion.
“If Mr. Waya claims that Governor Alia misappropriated ₦345 billion, where did the money come from? The figures simply don’t add up,” Tule said.
Waya, who is also a veteran journalist before contesting for the governorship of the state under APGA, had in a petition dated September 1, 2025, addressed to Pope Leo XIV through the Apostolic Nunciature in Abuja, accused Governor Alia of corruption, divisive politics, underperformance, and allegedly bringing the Catholic Church into disrepute.
He alleged that ₦345.3 billion had been expended through dubious contract awards without due process or approval by the State Executive Council (SEC), but with little to show in terms of development projects.
In the petition, Waya also accused Governor Alia of political intolerance, sponsorship of violence through groups like “No Alia, No Benue,” attempting to unseat the state’s Chief Judge unlawfully, and creating resentment that risked tarnishing the image of the Catholic Church in Nigeria.
In Alia’s defence, Tule pointed to reforms such as the biometric verification of civil servants, which he said removed over 2,500 ghost workers and saved the state about ₦1 billion monthly. He added that Alia has instead prioritised clearing inherited debts, including ₦12.8 billion in salary arrears, ₦13.5 billion in pensions, and ₦16 billion owed to contractors, while refraining from contracting new loans.
On Waya’s claim of non-performance, YTCDA listed projects they said were verifiable; the recruitment of 10,000 teachers, construction of 90 new classroom blocks across the state, the establishment of the Benue State University of Agriculture, Science and Technology at Ihugh, Alia’s ancestral home, and the revival of abandoned healthcare facilities including the Mother and Child Hospital, Makurdi.
The group also pointed to the installation of advanced medical equipment at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, the recruitment of 2,000 health workers, and agriculture initiatives such as the Alia Palm Project and the concessioning of the state’s citrus factory.
Infrastructure projects cited include the construction of 16 major roads, a flyover and underpass in Makurdi, the renovation of the long-abandoned Benue State Secretariat, and the installation of solar streetlights across Makurdi. “These are not imaginary; they are there for the public to see,” Tule said.
Responding to Waya’s allegation that Alia has been hostile to the Catholic Church, YTCDA said this was “deliberate mischief,” noting that the Catholic Bishops have formally appointed a chaplain for the Government House, who also serves as the governor’s spiritual director, describing it as a sign of unprecedented cooperation between Church and State.
On security, the association dismissed claims that the governor sponsored violence. YTCDA cited the establishment of the Anyam Nyor security outfit, Governor Alia’s advocacy for state police, continued enforcement of the anti-open grazing law, and support for displaced persons.
“To blame the governor for terrorist attacks is not only false but insensitive to victims,” the association stressed.
The YTCDA further accused Waya of neglecting his own Mbayongo-Tiev community despite his wealth. They said the community had no government school, hospital, borehole, electricity, or roads since Benue was created in 1976, but Governor Alia, during a recent private visit, pledged to build major roads and provide infrastructure.
“This sudden petition appears more like a reaction to the governor’s promise to address long-standing neglect than a genuine concern for governance,” YTCDA alleged.
Fielding questions from journalists as to whether the leadership of the YTCDA has at any time called on Waya to contribute to the development of the community but refused, Tule maintained their criticism, arguing that wealthy indigenes should not wait to be begged to invest in their communities. “You don’t have to be begged to do things for your people because you are very rich,” he said.
The YTCDA insisted that Waya’s petition was an act of “political bitterness and fabricated imagination” designed to mislead the Vatican and tarnish the image of a governor delivering on his mandate.
YTCDA urged the Catholic Church and the public to disregard it, insisting Governor Alia has maintained integrity, fiscal prudence, and visible progress in governance.
