Benue Assembly Asks Alia To Unfreeze State Accounts, 10 Months After

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has been asked to unfreeze the state bank accounts, which he ordered to be frozen on his assumption of office in May, last year.

This was the resolution of members of the State House of Assembly during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Aondona Dajoh.

Alia had during his inaugural speech on May 29, 2023 directed banks in the state to freeze all accounts in order to ensure the smooth running of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).

But the assembly during the plenary, passed a motion mandating the governor to vacate his order.

The House while debating on the motion, frowned at the continuous freezing of the accounts, which it said had rendered MDAs hopeless, paralysed, and unable to render effective services to the people of the state.

The motion for the vacation was moved by the member representing Kwande West State Constituency, Pharmacist Thomas Dugeri.

The motion was seconded by the member representing Konshisha State Constituency, Cephas Dyako.

But, the member representing the Kyan State Constituency, Shimawua Emmanuel, moved a counter motion, which was seconded by Berger Alfred Emberga, a member representing Makurdi North State Constituency as they urged the house not to be hasty in their conclusion on why the state governor allowed the accounts to be frozen.

The counter motion however, failed through voice votes as the House resolved that the governor should, in the interest of the state, unfreeze the state accounts for the smooth running of the MDAs.