Why People Look At Benue State As Church – Senator Abba Moro

Senate Minority Leader, Abba Moro, has accused Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, of running the state like a church.

Naija News reports that Moro, while speaking on Democracy Today, a programme aired on African Independent Television (AIT), on Tuesday, criticised Alia’s style of governance, alleging that decision-making in Benue State is concentrated in the governor’s hands.

The Senator representing Benue South claimed that commissioners and other political appointees have been stripped of meaningful responsibilities because key decisions are handled exclusively by the governor.

According to Moro, Governor Alia has taken over duties that should ordinarily be performed by other senior government officials, adding that residents should independently evaluate the level of influence and responsibility exercised by political appointees in the state.

He said, “If these people are angry with him, if people are not happy with him, as a leader, it is his duty to call people and say, ‘Look, this is our state. Let’s build it together.

“People look at Benue State as a church, as a pulpit where instructions come from only one person.

“Governor Alia is the Accountant General of Benue State. He’s the Finance Commissioner of Benue State. He’s the Commissioner for Works in Benue State.

“Conduct a discreet survey and see whether these appointees have anything to do.”

Recounting his visits to internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, Moro argued that the administration had failed to adequately empower its officials to respond to urgent humanitarian needs.

He recounted an occasion when a commissioner announced a donation of ₦150,000 to be shared among three IDP camps, adding that such an episode reflected the limited financial authority available to commissioners during emergencies.

He stated, “I told the Honourable Commissioner, ‘If all you want to spend is ₦150,000, come privately.’ I went and gave him the money because it was an emergency.

“The Deputy Governor doesn’t have ₦1,000,000 to spend. That is a pathetic situation in the state.”