Benue Inquiry Commission Summons Senator Titus Zam

The Benue State Income and Expenditure Commission of Inquiry, 2024 on Friday, November 8, 2024, summoned Senator Titus Tertenge Zam to appear before it for investigation.

Justice Taiwo Taiwo (retd), who chairs the panel, issued a warrant for Zam’s appearance following the lawmaker’s failure to honour two invitations by the panel.

Zam, a former Special Adviser to the immediate past governor of Benue State, Simon Ortom, is the senator representing Benue North-West Senatorial District.

The panel commanded Zam, 53, to appear at 12 noon on November 18, 2024, which is the next adjourned date.

Justice Taiwo noted that the warrant to compell the legislator’s attendance was brought pursuant to Section 7(d) of the Commission’s of Inquiry Law of Benue State, Cap 40 2004.

Benue State Govenor Governor Hyacinth Alia, set up the commission of inquiry on February 27, 2024, to investigate the income and expenditure of the Benue State Government under his predecessor, whose tenure lasted from May 29, 2015, to May 28, 2023.

Governor Alia appointed Justice Taiwo – a former Judge of the Federal High Court – and six other members with a mandate to examine the income, expenditure, bank transactions, loans, waivers, special interventions, internally generated revenue, misappropriation of funds, contracts, wage bills, and to identify ghost workers enlisted on government payroll.

The Commission is to further determine the utilisation of the internally generated revenue and identify cases of misappropriation, abuse, misuse and diversion of Benue State funds in the period under review, and such persons that were involved in the misappropriation.

It is also expected to Identify all the contracts that were issued by the Benue State Government from May 29, 2015, to May 28, 2023, and examine whether due process was followed in issuing such contracts and whether such contracts were actually executed.