October 23, (THEWILL) – Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has approved the suspension of the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and Public Order, Barr Bemsen Mnyim, over a breach of protocol in governance.
The Governor, who gave the directive at the Government House on Wednesday, during a press conference shortly after the Benue State Executive Council meeting, said the indefinite suspension is with immediate effect.
“This suspension was necessitated by Commissioner’s ultra vires decision to join Benue State in a suit challenging the legality of anti-graft agencies, namely the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC).”
In a statement, the Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, quotes the governor as saying that no appointee is permitted to act unilaterally, no matter how pressing or urgent the issue is.
“One must resort to due consultations with me or appropriately brief me and seek my permission before acting, especially in a sensitive matter such as this.
“My administration is holding accountable those who embezzled money and drained our state. The EFCC and ICPC are assisting us in this effort.”
Governor Alia wondered how he could turn around and begin to challenge these watchdogs, denying that he gave no permission to the State Attorney General to enter an appearance for the state.
“So, you acted on your own and I hereby, suspend you indefinitely pending a satisfactory explanation of your actions”, the statement added.
