The Benue State House of Assembly, led by Speaker Hyacinth Dajoh, has asked the Commissioner for Finance to appear before lawmakers on Tuesday. The Commissioner, along with the ministry’s permanent secretary, is required to explain why the accounts of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) are still frozen.
The decision came after a motion was raised by Deputy Minority Whip, Mr. Blessed Onah, during Wednesday’s session. Onah reminded the House that in March 2024, they had passed resolutions urging Governor Hyacinth Alia to unfreeze the accounts to allow MDAs to operate properly.
Onah expressed concerns that, despite the governor’s directive, the accounts remained frozen, affecting the MDAs’ functionality. He also emphasized the need for the Ministry of Finance to update the House on the situation and other financial matters.
Other lawmakers, including Mr. Alfred Berger and Mr. William Ortyom, supported the motion, highlighting the poor budget performance of MDAs, with many only using a small fraction of their allocated funds. They suggested that future budget allocations should be based on the previous year’s spending.
In response, the Majority Leader, Mr. Saater Tiseer, called for a detailed report on the MDAs’ budget performance. The Speaker ruled that when the Commissioner appears, he should apologize to the House and the public for the difficulties caused by the frozen accounts.