The Benue House of Assembly has summoned the state Action Committee on COVID-19 to appear before its Committee on Health and Human Services, to explain its activities since inauguration.
The house took the decision after deliberating on a motion of urgent public importance moved by Baba Odeh (Otukpo/Akpa/APC), during plenary on Wednesday.
It also resolved that the Caretaker Chairmen of the 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the state should appear before the House Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
The house wants the LGAs caretaker chairmen to explain how they distributed palliatives given to them to distribute to the poor and vulnerable.
Odeh, in the motion, explained that Gov. Samuel Ortom and some corporate bodies had released some money to fight the coronavirus in the state.
He said the state government had directed the caretaker chairmen to make a list of 5,000 deserving members of their respective wards to benefit from the palliatives from the state, federal governments and corporate bodies.
Odeh however, alleged that the caretaker chairmen diverted the funds to patronise their political associates at the expense of the poor.
He urged the house to summon the two committees to explain their activities.
Seconding the motion, Cephas Gyako (Konshisha/ADC), said the palliatives released had not reached his constituents, adding that the committees should explain how they distributed them.
The house unanimously supported the motion, noting that constituents had heard the announcement on the radio about the release of palliatives but complained that they had not reached them.
Ruling, the Deputy Speaker, Christopher Adaji, who presided over the session ordered the two house standing committees to report back in two weeks.
