Gov Alia running Benue like a church – Abba Moro

‎Senate Minority Leader and Senator representing Benue South, Abba Moro, has criticised Governor Hyacinth Alia’s style of governance, alleging that decision-making in Benue State is concentrated in the governor’s hands.

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‎Moro made the remarks on Tuesday while speaking on Democracy Today, a programme aired on African Independent Television (AIT), where he assessed the performance of the Benue State government.

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

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‎“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,’” Moro said.

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

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‎Moro also alleged that Governor Alia has taken over duties that should ordinarily be performed by other senior government officials.

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‎“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,” he said.

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‎The senator urged residents to independently evaluate the level of influence and responsibility exercised by political appointees in the state.

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

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‎Drawing from 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.

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‎He recounted an occasion when a commissioner announced a donation of ₦150,000 to be shared among three IDP camps.

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‎“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,” Moro said.

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‎According to him, the episode reflected the limited financial authority available to commissioners during emergencies.

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‎The former Interior Minister also recalled another visit to an IDP camp, where he claimed the Deputy Governor pledged ₦1 million to soldiers engaged in combating insecurity.

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

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