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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been urged to take immediate action against Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State for allegedly undermining local governments.
The Coalition of Patriotic Nigerians and the Conference of Registered Political Parties (CRPP) expressed their deep concern over Governor Alia's actions in a letter to President Tinubu, describing them as a "direct affront to the principles of democracy and the rule of law."
"We are shocked and dismayed by Governor Alia's blatant disregard for the judiciary's decision and his subsequent usurping of the powers of local governments," stated Andrew Longyem and Oliver Omenka, co-signers of the letter.
"This is a clear violation of the constitutional framework and a threat to democratic governance in Nigeria."
Pulse reports that the Supreme Court ruled on July 11, 2024, that local government funds should be paid directly to the exclusive accounts of the country's 774 local governments.
However, Governor Alia has allegedly defied this ruling by directing caretaker chairmen to secretly inaugurate their committee members, a move the groups condemned as a "severe violation of the country's constitutional framework."
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Call for EFCC, ICPC intervention
The groups urged President Tinubu to instruct the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to investigate Governor Alia's alleged diversion of over ₦60 billion belonging to the 23 local governments of Benue State.
"We implore Mr. President to take decisive action to prevent further subversion of democratic institutions in Benue State," the letter added.
The groups commended President Tinubu for restoring local government autonomy and urged him to address the situation to uphold democratic governance in Nigeria promptly.
The letter was also sent to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, the National Security Adviser, the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), the EFCC Chairman, and the ICPC Chairman.