The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State on Sunday chided Governor Hyacinth Alia for allegedly snubbing the 72-hour ultimatum slammed on him by the state House of Assembly to appoint a Security Adviser which has since elapsed.
The ultimatum which was issued close to two weeks now following the recent broad-day bank robbery in Otukpo Local Government Area during which at least 19 people including a DPO were reportedly killed was a fallout of the alleged inability to reach the security agencies in the state for timely response to the incident.
The ultimatum by the lawmakers followed a motion moved by the member representing Otukpo-Akpa State Constituency, Angbo Kennedy, who among other prayers, demanded that all hotels and leisure spots should open mandatory ledger on all guests, install CCTV cameras and also improve security deployment.
The Speaker, Aondona Dajoh, who ruled on the prayers, gave the governor a three-day ultimatum to appoint a Security Adviser to coordinate state security issues in collaboration with the security agencies to maintain law and order.
One of the lawmakers, Godwin Edoh, who escaped the Otukpo bank robbery, had lamented his inability to reach out to anyone from the government due to the lack of a substantive Security Adviser.
The lawmaker said the bank robbery has opened up gaps in the security architecture of the state.
The PDP in a reaction via its state Publicity Secretary, Mr. Bemgba Iortyom, viewed the lackadaisical posture of the governor “as vaunting self above the law”, the ultimatum which was handed to the governor at the Assembly’s plenary in line with its lawful powers to oversight him.
“Close to 200 hours after, Governor Alia has not as much as said a word regarding the ultimatum but continues to run the state without a Security Adviser to coordinate the fight against bandits and terrorists in the face of worsening insecurity.
“The State Assembly on its part has yet to react to this snub by the governor and this, PDP finds as an unacceptable abnegation of duty on the part of the legislature.
“As we have consistently maintained, Governor Alia owes the people of Benue a duty of accountability and transparency in the handling of their affairs including security, and the refrain that he prefers to handle security matters discreetly is untenable as a defence under the present circumstance.
“PDP insists that the governor must discharge this duty of accountability and transparency to the Legislature which is the representative Assembly of the people by complying with its ultimatum, as his continued refusal to do so amounts to vaunting himself above the law.
“The House of Assembly on its part must rise to its lawful duty as an institution responsible for ensuring the wellbeing and security of the people, by enforcing its powers to oversight Governor Alia in the face of his seeming intransigence.
“The leadership of the Benue State House of Assembly must not lose sight of the erosion of their constitutionally vested powers which will be the consequence should it remain silent in the face of such brazen disregard for its lawful directives by the governor.
“The role of a Special Adviser on Security to a Governor is of utmost critical importance the same way the National Security Adviser is to a President and is usually among the first of appointments made.
“He coordinates security agencies on behalf of the Governor for synergy in the fight against crime and insecurity, and his absence in an administration cannot be overlooked.
“In the particular case of Benue where banditry and herdsmen terrorism are assuming such monstrous dimensions, with daily killings becoming the norm, the failure by Governor Alia to appoint a Security Adviser close to 6 months into office is inexplicable, even as he continues to make other appointments”.
The party cautions Governor Alia against continued disregard for the lawful directives of the Benue State House of Assembly as it amounts to subversion of the sovereign will of the people which is represented in the Assembly, even as we charge the Legislature to ensure this does not happen”.
