Benue: PDP demands immediate arrest of Gov Alia

The Benue State Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has condemned the arrests of its member and social media influencer, Paul Gerger on the alleged orders of Governor Hyacinth Alia.

Speaking to the media, shortly after visiting Mr. Gerger at the State Police Headquarters in Makurdi, where he was detained for an alleged defamatory publication on social media against the Governor, the State Publicity Secretary of the party, Bemgba Iortyom stated that the PDP member was detained following a post he recently made alleging that the Governor had misappropriated the N2billion palliative from the Federal Government.

The Publicity Secretary expressed surprise that the “Governor has the time to go to the police on an issue that ordinarily should be considered as civil in nature because you are looking at a case of a citizen haven written in public space questioning the application of public funds and the Governor instituted a petition to arrest and prosecute the young man.

“We find this very surprising and now they say he (the Governor) is in Kigali, Rwanda, no one in this state was informed by Governor Alia that he is going to Kigali. Who has he left the governance of the State in his hands? We do not know. This Governor has all the time to frolick about while Benue State is bleeding.

“Insecurity, poverty are at endemic level yet he has the time to arrest Paul Gerger. We as a party, because he is part of PDP, we are not taking this lying down. We will resist impunity, authoritarianism, political witchhunt and this persecution that has been the badge of the Alia Government or regime in Benue State.

“We are exploring all legal means at our disposal not just to ensure that the young man get justice served to him but whatever right that has been infringed upon is appropriately redeemed.”

Continuing, Iortyom said: “As the spokesperson of the PDP in the State and also, my status as Barrister at equity, I understand what is permitted to me by law and what is not. So, I do my job which is civil and constitutional in line with what the law permits me. To that extent, I have no reason whatsoever to fear.

“In any case, it is clearly my understanding and I’m proud of it. The PDP has remain the compass by which the APC in the State conduct its affair.“Talking about the palliative, if we had not raised the alarm that there were fears that these palliatives were going to be mismanaged, then he would not have even seen a reason to come out and say anything about the same palliatives and by the time he came out, he only validated and confirmed our fears that as of a fact, he has misappropriated the palliatives already.

“He has gone ahead to dispense money through an approach that is not recognized by law. That is corruption and financial crime and we will not stop to question these misdeed, misdemeanor and act of Alia sole administratorship of Benue State.

“Our duty is to the people of this state and the Federal Republic of Nigeria upon which we took oath of office, of which I took oath to discharge my duty as the spokesperson of the PDP and to that extent, I do not have to watch my back.

“The petition warranting the arrest and detention of a PDP member social media influencer was from the Chambers of Mnyim and the content states clearly that they are the under the explicit briefs of the Governor of Benue State to the effect requesting the Commissioner of Police to arrest and prosecute him for haven written in a social media post alleging that Governor Alia has misappropriated the N2billion palliative for the people of the State.

“So, he felt that has injured and maligned him in the eyes of the people and on the basis of that, he is aggrieved and asked the police to arrest and prosecute the young man.