The Benue State House of Assembly established the AD HOC committee to look into the operations of the twenty-three (23) local government caretaker committees since the beginning of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration on May 29, 2023. The committee has asked the chairmen of the LGA caretaker committees to provide the required paperwork so that the investigation can begin.
The documents were to be turned in to the secretary of the ad hoc committee at the Benue State House of Assembly Complex, Makurdi. The documents included the Local Government Joint Allocation Committee (JAAC) from June 2023 to the present, records of the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) banked and unbanked, bank statements of all incomes and expenditures, records of capital projects executed, records of other expenditures including wage bill and imprest, records of security votes received on a monthly basis, salary payment vouchers, and extras from GPC meetings.
Additional documents include imprest spread sheets with the names of imprest holders and the total amount received by each since June of last year, records of statutory deductions from FAAC allocations made by the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, a comprehensive staff list as of June of this year, and any other pertinent data that could help the commission carry out its oversight responsibilities, according to a statement signed by the chairman of the ad hoc committee, Hon. Saater Tiseer, who also serves as the Majority Leader of the House.
The majority leader also revealed that the schedule for all 23 local government areas in the state has been made public by the ad hoc committee. The visits will begin at 10 a.m. on July 15, 2024, at Vandeikya local government area, and continue through July 16, 2024, Kwande, July 17, 2024, Katsina-Ala, July 18, 2024, Logo, July 18, 2024, Buruku, July 18, 2024, Tarka, July 22, 2024, and Gboko, July 23, 2024.
The ad hoc committee will meet in Ushongo on July 24, 2024. On July 25, 2024, Konshisha will meet. On July 29, 2024, Gwer West will meet. On July 31, 2024, Otukpo will meet. On July 31, 2024, Ohimini will meet. On August 1, 2024, Agatu will meet. On August 2, 2024, Apa will meet. On August 5, Okpokwu will meet. On July 6, 2024, Obi will convene. On July 7, 2024, Ogbadibo 8, 2024, Oju will meet. On August 9, 2024, Guma will meet. On August 13, 2024, Makurdi will meet. Everybody
The notification also stated that on August 14, 2024, the committee will be at the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
According to information obtained by National Record, there are concerns in some Benue circles, particularly among some APC members, that the caretaker chairmen have been receiving large federal allocations for the past year without producing even one project to show for it. This may be the reason for the ongoing investigation.