May 13, (THEWILL) – The Benue State government says the statement being circulated under the title “Benue Killings: Fulanis, Governor Alia raises N300 Billion to launder image Abroad”, is not only false, but malicious and irresponsible.
The allegations were raised and signed in a statement by Mr Dennis Agema and Oliver Omenka, leaders of a group under the aegis of Network for Transparent Governance (NTG).
Debunking the claims in Makurdi, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, said the publication is a disgraceful tissue of lies, a campaign of deliberate misinformation, and a cowardly attempt to malign the integrity and noble efforts of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
“We state here categorically that there is no such N300 billion mission; no plan to launder any image, and certainly no conspiracy between the Reverend Gentleman and any ethnicity or groups, including Fulani leaders, as recklessly peddled by these faceless agents of destabilisation”, Kula said.
According to him, Governor Alia was at Harvard University on the invitation of the Department of African and African-American Studies to present a paper on the topic “Democracy and Economic Growth in Nigeria”, in a seminar under the theme ‘Nigeria in the World’.
“It should be noted that Governor Alia, like any other governor, is the Chief Marketer of his state. This much he has not been found wanting as he always sells the state’s potential everywhere he finds himself and at any opportunity”, the statement added.
The Chief Press Secretary further explained that the governor’s visit to the United States also encompasses diplomatic engagements aimed at attracting partnerships, drawing attention to the plight of victims of terrorist attacks on the natives in Benue, and seeking sustainable solutions to the long-standing security challenges affecting the state.
He insists that Governor Alia has remained one of the most vocal, pragmatic, and committed leaders in the fight against insecurity, including the violent attacks by criminal elements, irrespective of their identity, arguing that the mention of a fabricated figure of N300 billion is not only ludicrous but also a desperate attempt to stir ethnic tensions and discredit the Governor’s conceivable reputation, both locally and internationally.
The Chief Press Secretary, therefore, challenged these he referred to as ‘third columnists’ to provide even a shred of reliable evidence for their claims with dates, documents, venues, or witnesses to support their accusations, noting that governor Alia remains a committed servant-leader, a priest of accord, and a patriotic Nigerian who has never compromised the welfare or dignity of the Benue people.
He pointed out that this administration has taken concrete steps in improving the security architecture of the state, facilitating the return of displaced people, and engaging constructively with all stakeholders for truce and justice, and that no amount of blackmail, propaganda, or ethnic scapegoating will deter Governor Alia from fulfilling his mandate to the people of Benue State.
Sir Kula argued that such coordinated attacks only expose the desperation of failed politicians and rogue actors who cannot stand the Governor’s rising profile and his steady record of responsible leadership, calling on well-meaning Nigerians, the diplomatic community, and media practitioners to disregard the misleading publication.
The Government of Benue State, Kula said, reserves the right to take legal actions against those who seek to destroy reputations through malicious falsehood, libel and incitement.
