By: Francis Ter, Makurdi
The Benue State House of Assembly has suspended the Auditor General for Local Government, Mr. Abraham Gberidyer, over allegations of financial misappropriation and fraud amounting to ₦4.6 billion. The decision was reached during Tuesday’s plenary presided over by Speaker Rt. Hon. Berger Alfred Emberga, MNIQS, RQS, following a letter from Governor Hyacinth Alia through the Head of Service.
According to the letter, Gberidyer is currently under investigation for corruption and cannot continue in office in line with constitutional provisions on the removal of corrupt public officers. The House voted unanimously to suspend him to allow for a proper investigation. The Speaker said the move is necessary to uphold accountability and protect public funds at the local government level.
In other legislative businesses, the Assembly passed into law a bill for the creation and adoption of the Benue State Symbol and Anthem, 2026, after considering the report of the House Standing Committee on Culture and Tourism. The Speaker directed the Clerk to produce clean copies for the Governor’s assent.
A separate bill to repeal the 2017 Sports Marketing and Lotteries Board Law and re-enact the 2024 Lotteries, Public Online Lotteries, Gaming and Sports Marketing Board Law scaled second reading. The proposed law aims to expand digital integration, optimize revenue, strengthen consumer protection against underage gambling, and equip the board with enforcement powers to clamp down on unlicensed operators.
The House also passed a third reading bill to extend the retirement age and improve remuneration for magistrates and legal officers in the Ministry of Justice, to retain experienced manpower in the justice sector. In addition, the Benue Pension Harmonization Bill, which seeks to increase pensions for retirees, passed its second reading. The pension bill was sponsored by Hon. Douglas Akya of Makurdi South State Constituency.(The Legend News)
