The Benue State House of Assembly has constituted a seven-man ad hoc committee, chaired by Hon. Bemdoo Ipusu, to carry out a statewide contract verification exercise.
In a resolution passed during plenary, presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, the House also directed the Commissioner for Finance, Michael Ogleba, to suspend all payments to contractors currently handling projects in the state pending the completion of the verification.
The committee has been mandated to ascertain whether due process was followed in the award of contracts, whether the contracts were publicly advertised, assess the capacity of the contractors, review the design analysis, and evaluate the contract sums.
The decision followed a motion of urgent public importance moved by the member representing Makurdi North state constituency, Hon. Alfred Emberga Berger, who raised concerns over irregularities and the slow pace of ongoing projects.
Berger warned that the House’s continued silence on the matter could fuel public speculation and cast the current administration in a negative light.
The ad hoc committee has one month to conclude its assignment and report back to the House.
In a related development, the House has summoned the Commissioner for Finance, Michael Ogleba, and the Head of Service, Agbogbo Ode, to appear before it on Tuesday, July 29, 2025. The commissioner is expected to present the total wage bill of the state, including salaries, allowances, and other personnel costs.
Meanwhile, the Head of Service is to provide a comprehensive breakdown of the number of staff currently on the state payroll, disaggregated by ministries, departments, and agencies.
Also during plenary, the House suspended the Executive Secretary of the Benue State Sports Lottery and Marketing Board, Mr. Michael Uper, for six months over allegations of revenue diversion and misappropriation of state funds. His activities are to be investigated within this period. Should he be found culpable, he is to refund all illegally diverted funds to the consolidated revenue account and face removal from office.
Furthermore, the House condemned the brutal killing of Mr. Ternenge Iorkyaa Ikpanor and other Mbaduku indigenes in the ongoing conflict between Mbaduku and Obudu communities. It called on the state governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, to liaise with his Cross River State counterpart to end the crisis.
The House also summoned the Chairman of the Local Government Civil Service Commission to appear before it on Tuesday, July 29, to address concerns regarding irregularities in staff promotions within the commission.
Benue Assembly embarks on state-wide contract verification
