Benue Debunks Alleged N20bn Fraud In LG Bureau

Special adviser to the governor of Benue State on bureau of local government and chieftaincy affairs, Dr Denis Akura, has refuted media reports of a missing N20 billion in the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs in Benue State.

An organisation, Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), had recently claimed that N20 billion was missing from the bureau.

Akura, in a statement he signed yesterday, said, “For the records, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, a disciplined leader whose standpoint is prudent management of resources, did not direct me to monitor the diversion of over N20 billion federal allocations aggregated to the local governments.”

He said as of June to October 2, 2023, he was not at the helm of affairs of the bureau, therefore, making references to him within that period only exposes the mischievous intent behind GICN’s false allegations.

Akura emphasised that it is on record that on the assumption of duty at the bureau, he made it clear to the entire staff that he was directed by his boss to strictly adhere to the workable administrative framework designed to restructure and revamp local government administration in Benue State and return it to its lost glory.

“It is unfortunate that GICN’s puerile mischief, stark ignorance on the running and management of the bureau or both completely exposes its malfeasance. In Benue State, the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs no longer controls the federal allocation or any funds of the local government areas,” Akura said.

He stated that quasi financial autonomy has been granted to the local governments where their aggregated federal allocation goes directly to each of their accounts.

The Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs as mandated by Governor Alia, he stated, only supervises, monitors and coordinates the affairs of the 23 local government areas through the Directorate of Monitoring and Inspection.

For transparency, the designated administrative framework has also directed all the local government area caretaker committee chairmen to, as a must, credit their IGR into the local government area accounts before transferring the same into the expenditures account to spend on driving their policies, programmes and projects.