Former speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly and member representing Gboko West Constituency, Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, has alleged that Governor Hyacinth Alia removed him from office for refusing to support his alleged proposal to relocate the palace of the Tor Tiv to Ihugh, the governor’s hometown in Vandeikya.
But Alia’s chief press secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, described the allegations as false and misleading.
Dajoh made the allegation at the weekend during his 50th birthday and celebration of three years in office at Akpagher in Mbatiav, Gboko.
The former speaker stated that his stand against alleged attempt to move the revered Tor Tiv’s palace from its ancestral location in Gboko prompted the governor to sack him.
“Governor Alia sent a letter to me directing that I should relocate the Tor Tiv’s palace from Gboko to his hometown, Ihugh. I rejected the idea. I told him that he wanted to kill me,” the former speaker said.
“The parliamentary probe into the Wurukum – Air Force – Tyomu Road contract, which moved from N28bn to N68 billion, critical questions surrounding the alleged employment of 9,700 teachers, stepping down of two commissioner nominees, purchase of official cars for seven members of the House of Assembly, and the height of the disagreement, an outright refusal of the House under my leadership to consider a demand of the Governor Alia administration to relocate the Tor Tiv Palace from Gboko to Ihugh in Vandeikya were the core issues that triggered my fallout with the governor,” Dajoh claimed.
Reacting, Alia’s chief press secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, in a statement described the allegations as false and misleading.
He said, “It takes an intelligent liar to fabricate tales that can at least bear the semblance of a verifiable story. Unfortunately, it is now clear that the former Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Aondona Dajoh is not an intelligent fabricator.
“During his 50th birthday celebration in Mbatiav, Gboko yesterday, Dajoh made desperate attempts to blame his resignation from office on His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia.
“His allegations are not only false and misleading, but they also expose troubling questions about his stewardship as Speaker and his understanding of the constitutional powers and limitations of the Benue State House of Assembly.
“To start with, the claim that Governor Hyacinth Alia wrote to him (as Speaker) asking him to relocate the Palace of the Tor Tiv from Gboko to Ihugh is entirely blatant falsehood, baseless and imaginary.
“We demand to know why such a correspondent from the Executive was not read on the floor of the House as procedure demands. Benue State House of Assembly was not Dajoh ‘s private establishment, any such letter sent to the Assembly from the Executive cannot be turned down by the fiat of a Speaker. So, we challenge Dajoh to make public the letter he alleged the Governor sent to him to relocate the Tor Tiv Palace to Ihugh”
“We find it necessary to further expose the inconsistencies and falsehoods contained in the former Speaker’s tales.
“At least, having served as Speaker, Dajo ought to know that the Benue State House of Assembly lacks constitutional authority to relocate the headquarters of a traditional institution such as the Tor Tiv Palace”
“Dajoh further tried to make a straw man out of Gov. Alia when he claimed the Governor lied over the Wurukum – Renewed Hope Estate (Angbaaye village) road contract.
“Governor Alia has been very transparent in all his dealings with the people of Benue State” the statement said.
