Terseer Ugbor, the member representing Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency of Benue State, has announced his decision to take legal action against Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Benue State Government over allegations of palliative diversion, News About Nigeria reports.
Ugbor said on Friday that he has engaged a legal team to challenge the accusations, as he plans to protect his reputation and seek justice through the courts.
The controversy started from an incident reported earlier this week, where Governor Alia intercepted a truckload of relief materials allegedly diverted from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Benue State.
Ugbor is seeking N1 billion in compensation for defamation of character and plans to invest the sum in building a housing estate for displaced persons in his constituency.
According to Ugbor, while attending the United Nations General Assembly in the United States, he was informed that the Benue State Government had seized a truckload of relief materials he had secured for his constituents.
These materials, sourced from NEMA’s warehouse in Makurdi, were confiscated and handed over to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) for investigation.
In response, a statement from Tersoo Kula, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alia, claimed the truck was found offloading relief materials at a private residence in Makurdi, raising suspicions of diversion.
The governor ordered the truck’s seizure and requested anti-graft agencies to investigate, while ensuring the palliatives were distributed to the intended recipients.
Ugbor, however, rejected the governor’s actions, labelling them as politically motivated. He maintained that his efforts to provide relief to displaced persons in Kwande were genuine and long-standing.
“My support for the transportation, storage, and distribution of palliatives to displaced individuals in Kwande is not a new endeavour, yet it has seemingly provoked the governor’s displeasure,” Ugbor stated, adding that he is prepared to defend his name in court.
