Alia never sought relocation of Tor Tiv Palace, claims baseless — Benue govt

The Benue State Government has dismissed allegations by former Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh, that Governor Hyacinth Alia sought the relocation of the Tor Tiv Palace from Gboko to Ihugh, describing the claims as false and imaginary.

Reacting to remarks made by the former Speaker during activities marking his 50th birthday celebration in Gboko Local Government Area, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Tersoo Kula, said Dajoh’s allegations lacked credibility and were unsupported by evidence.

Kula described the claims as “a cocktail of conspiracy theories, unfounded accusations, outright falsehoods and reckless claims,” insisting that Governor Alia never issued any directive or communication requesting the relocation of the revered Tor Tiv Palace.

According to him, the former Speaker should make public the alleged correspondence if such a document truly exists.

“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 false, baseless and imaginary,” Kula said.

He argued that any official communication from the Executive arm to the Benue State House of Assembly would have passed through established legislative procedures and records, making it impossible for such a directive to remain hidden.

Kula further noted that the House of Assembly lacks the constitutional powers to relocate the headquarters of a traditional institution such as the Tor Tiv Palace, describing Dajoh’s allegations as legally untenable.

The governor’s spokesman also rejected Dajoh’s claim that over N200 million was spent in an attempt to remove the Chief Judge of Benue State, Justice Maurice Ikpambese.

He challenged the former Speaker to provide evidence of the alleged expenditure and identify those who purportedly benefited from the funds.

“The people of Benue deserve facts, not fiction; evidence, not emotions; and accountability, not political theatre,” he stated.

Kula also defended the state government’s execution of the Wurukum–Renewed Hope Estate road project, explaining that the contract involved the reconstruction of a federal highway approved by the Federal Government and included a dual carriageway as well as a five-span bridge across River Mu.

He maintained that Governor Alia has remained transparent in the conduct of government affairs and urged Dajoh to reflect on the circumstances surrounding his departure as Speaker rather than engaging in what he described as political grandstanding.

Dajoh had alleged that his removal from office was linked to his refusal to support a plan to relocate the Tor Tiv Palace from Gboko to the governor’s hometown of Ihugh in Vandeikya Local Government Area.

The former Speaker also claimed that some influential individuals within the governor’s inner circle warned him that opposing the alleged proposal would cost him his position as Speaker.

However, the Benue State Government has firmly denied the allegations and challenged Dajoh to substantiate his claims with verifiable evidence.