By Amos Aar
SPOKESPERSON to Benue State governor, Tersoo Kula, has said that two billion naira (N2,000,000,000) is not a huge amount of money to be spent on the purchase of vehicles for both elected and appointed officials of the state government.
Kula stated this on Monday while reacting to a publication which faulted the governor for approving over N2 billion for the purchase of official vehicles instead of cutting the cost of governance contrary to his promise during electioneering campaigns.
Although the CPS did not name the media organisation that faulted his principal’s alleged reckless spending, Saharareporters had last Sunday published the report as an exclusive, stating that Governor Hyacinth Alia approved N2,040,780,000 for the procurement of vehicles for himself, his Deputy, House of Assembly members and other government officials in the state.
According to the publication, financial records of the state it obtained showed that the money was approved on 5th September, 2023, being only one among several other questionable expenses of the governor, which amounted to over N40 billion in five months.
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Kula, in his reaction on Monday, however did not debunk the alleged reckless spending as his words only seem to confirm the allegation, when he said: “the person is not in touch with economic realities of our time,” adding that the exchange rate of naira to dollar has risen.
According to Kula, the governor, commissioners, assembly members, advisers and all others are supposed to have vehicles so the over N2 billion is no money.
“Do your mathematics and tell me if that N2 billion is adequate. So, it’s laughable. N2 billion for how many vehicles? I wonder how that’s money given that during Suswam’s time, a Hilux vehicle at that time cost N27 million. Suswam left and it’s over 8 years now. So, the cost of Hilux vehicle cannot be the same,” Kula argued.
On the N40 billion spending without commensurate achievements on ground, Kula said Alia has undertaken the construction 16-kilometer roads and he has been up to date with the payment of salaries even as his promise to fulfill the backlog of salary arrears within one hundred days in office is still unfulfilled.
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The publication further reported: “The document which Saharareporters obtained from highly placed sources partly read, “N2,760,018,000.00 – Amount paid as measurement certificate no.1 for the construction/rehabilitation of 16no. Roads within Makurdi metropolis of Benue State (15.39km) (contract No. BSPPC-47/2023) ifo M/s Triacta Nigeria Limited; N2,760,018,000.00 – Amount paid as measurement certificate no.1 for procurement of fairly used Hummer 2/3 buses for palliative measures and used toyota hilux 2018/2019 model vehicles for security purpose ifo Lajec Engineering Services Ltd.
“N2,040,780,000.00 – Amount paid base on anticipatory approval for procurement of vehicles for your Excellencies, the Exec. Gov. and Dep. Gov., Assembly Members, Govt. officials in the State ifo MBS Inv. and prop. Ltd (NOTE: deduct 1% processing fee and all relevant taxes).
“N1,977,379,575.79 – Amount paid for measurement certificate no.2 for the construction of/rehabilitation of 16no. Roads within Makurdi Metropolis of Benue State (15.39km) contract no. BSPPC-47/2023 ifo M/s Triacta Nigeria Ltd.”
“Sources in the state government said the spendings keep coming despite the governor’s initial promise to the people that he would not be wasteful in governance.
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“Recent developments have however proven that Governor Alia has not been telling Benue people the truth. To describe his government as wasteful is to be kind to him. What is happening with Benue’s resources under the watch of Governor Alia is worse than a locust,” a government source said.
“Governor Alia spent whopping amounts in just four months in office awarding fictitious contracts which none is ongoing. Between May 29 and September 30th, 2023, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has received and spent more than N46 billion of state resources, prominent among which is the duplication of contracts for the procurement of Hummer buses as palliative measures,” the source further revealed.
“Further, according to the documents, Alia also on 5th of September, approved N1.2billion “for the procurement of 100 refurbished 2017/2016 Hummer buses for palliative measures and 50 fairly used Hilux 2018/2019 model vehicles for other purposes.”
“The company which got the award is allegedly owned by some cronies of the governor, but shockingly, on the 28th September, 2023, the Alia government again released N2,236,000,000.00 (N2.2 billion) to the company for the procurement of the same refurbished Hummer buses and some fairly used Toyota Hilux (2018/2019) model vehicles. The number of the vehicles in the 3rd approval was also not specified,” another source revealed.
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“Further check shows that N3,551,820.00 was paid to seven accountants to attend the 2023 Mandatory Continuing Professional Development Programme (MCPD) held in Benin, Edo State from 28 to 31 August, 2023.
“Also investigation shows that N65million was paid for the replacement of one 500kva JMG generator at the Main Power House, Government House, Makurdi.
“When Sahara Reporters made attempts to reach Tersoo Kula, the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, he did not pick his calls nor respond to a text message to his line as of the time of filing this report.”
