Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has denied the claims that he’s colluding with Fulani leaders to raise N300 billion for an alleged image-laundering campaign abroad.
Alia said the claims, credited to one Dennis Agema and Oliver Omenka, were baseless, reckless and designed to stoke ethnic tensions and undermine his administration’s efforts to secure and rebuild Benue State.
A group, under the auspices of Network for Transparency Governance (NTG) had alleged that Governor Alia and unnamed Fulani collaborators had raised the huge sum to whitewash his image internationally, particularly during his recent trip to the United States.
But the Governor, through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, dismissed the report as nothing more than “a disgraceful tissue of lies”;; intended to distract from the progress being recorded under his leadership.
“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 destabilization,”;; the statement read.
According to the statement, Governor Alia was invited by the Department of African and African-American Studies at Harvard University to deliver a paper on “Democracy and Economic Growth in Nigeria”;;, a legitimate academic engagement, not a media stunt.
Kula explained that beyond the academic forum, the Governor also used the U.S. visit for diplomatic engagements focused on attracting investment, fostering partnerships, and drawing global attention to the humanitarian crisis and security challenges faced by the people of Benue.
“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 added.
The government described the accusation of a N300bn fundraising scheme as “ludicrous,”;; warning that it was part of a calculated campaign by desperate political elements to drag the Governor’s name through the mud.
“These 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.”;;
Kula said the Alia-led administration has made tangible efforts to address insecurity, including the facilitation of IDP resettlements and the strengthening of local security frameworks.
