By Solomon Iorpev
In the theatre of politics, irony often takes center stage. Today, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and its partners in the so-called Rainbow Coalition have suddenly discovered their voice, demanding accountability and evidence of work done with monthly “₦30 billion” allocations. But one cannot help but recall the biblical proverb of a man with a log in his eye trying to remove a speck from his neighbor’s eye.
For eight long years, the last administration sat comfortably in power, receiving regular monthly federal allocations without interruption. They collected several tranches of the Abacha loot, Paris Club refunds, bailout funds, and loans running into billions. Add to this the internally generated revenues (IGRs), and the cumulative figure swells to well over ₦3 trillion. Yet, when the dust settles, what tangible legacy can they point to? A roughly patched 20km road that is the solitary achievement paraded before the people.
Even more astonishing is the former governor’s recent claim that the collapse of Taraku Mills, which became a conduit pipe for siphoning resources, was merely due to electricity supply. Really? For eight years, as a sitting governor, you knew this and did nothing? That is not just poor leadership; it is a fundamental failure of responsibility.
Now, in a twist of irony, these same figures attempt to paint the Alia-led administration black, hoping that by appearing “off-white,” they might regain relevance. But the people are not so easily deceived. Before asking for a new mandate, the PDP and its allies must first give a proper stewardship of their last mandate. What happened to the trillions in allocations, refunds, bailouts, loans, and IGRs? Where did the money go? All we saw was unpaid salaries and pensions, unpaved roads and failed buildings plus debts of hundreds of millions of naira.
I must admit that the call for accountability is noble, but it must begin at home. Leadership is not about selective memory or convenient morality. It is about transparency, responsibility, and service. Until the past is accounted for, the present cries for accountability will remain nothing more than political theatre.
Hon. Chief Solomon Iorpev,
Honourable Commissioner,
Information and Orientation,
Benue State.
