…Summons HOS, Finance Commissioner, Others
The Benue State House of Assembly has resolved to conduct a state-wide contract verification exercise, aimed at ensuring that all ongoing projects in the state are properly scrutinized. To facilitate this exercise, a seven-member ad-hoc committee, chaired by Hon. Bemdoo Ipusu, has been set up
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker, Terver Zamber, said the House has also directed the Commissioner of Finance, Michael Ogleba, to suspend payments to all contractors handling projects in the state pending the completion of the verification exercise.
According to the statement, the committee’s mandate includes verifying whether due process was followed in the award of contracts, whether the contracts were advertised, assessing the capacity of the contractors, conducting design analysis, and reviewing the contract sum.
This decision was taken during a plenary session presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, following a motion of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Alfred Emberga Berger, representing Makurdi North State Constituency.
Hon. Berger highlighted irregularities and the slow pace of work by contractors, noting that the House’s continued silence on the matter could encourage public rumors that would portray the present government in a bad light. The ad-hoc committee has been given one month to conduct its activities and report back to the House.
Meanwhile, the House has summoned the Commissioner of Finance and the Head of Service to appear before it on July 29, 2025. The Commissioner is required to furnish the House with the total wage bill of the state, including salaries, allowances, and other personnel costs, while the Head of Service is to provide the total number of staff currently on the state payroll, including a breakdown by ministries, departments, and agencies.
The House equally summoned the Chairman of the Local Government Civil Service Commission to appear before it on July 29 to explain irregularities surrounding the promotion of staff of the commission.
In other business, the House suspended the Executive Secretary of the Benue State Sports Lottery and Marketing Board, Mr. Michael Uper, for six months over allegations of diversion and misappropriation of state revenue. The activities of the Secretary are to be investigated within the six months, and if found culpable, he is to refund the misappropriated funds to the consolidated revenue account of the state and subsequently removed from office.
The House also condemned the brutal killing of Mr. Ternenge Iorkyaa Ikpanor and other Mbaduku indigenes in the crisis between Mbaduku and Obudu, calling on the State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to liaise with his Cross River counterpart to bring an end to the crisis.
