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In what can only be described as a spectacular own-goal, the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Alfred Berger, has found himself at the center of a very public embarrassment after a brand-new Toyota Prado he dramatically “donated” to one of his district heads was quietly repossessed by the dealer over unpaid bills.
The incident, which has set social media ablaze and tongues wagging across the state, happened in the most humiliating way possible. A few weeks ago, photos and videos of the Speaker handing over the keys to Hon. Tyoor Alfred Ukpile, District Head of some traditional title, went viral. It was the classic political optics: a beaming Speaker, a grateful traditional ruler, and a gleaming SUV wrapped in the bow of generosity. Caption writers had a field day praising the Speaker’s “large heart” and “love for culture.”
Turns out the heart was large, but the wallet was on credit.
Sources close to the matter say the vehicle was taken from the dealership on hire-purchase terms with an agreement to clear the balance within one week. That week came and went. Then another. And another. Phone calls to the Speaker allegedly went unanswered or were diverted to voicemail. Frustrated, the dealer reportedly bypassed the Speaker entirely and went straight to the district head with a simple message: bring the car back for “paper regularization.”
Hon. Tyoor Ukpile, trusting the whole thing was above board, innocently drove the Prado to the dealership, only to watch in horror as it was impounded on the spot. He left the premises on an okada.
The dealer eventually resold the vehicle last Saturday, effectively closing the chapter on what must be one of the shortest-lived political PR stunts in recent memory.
The fallout has been swift and brutal. From beer parlors in Makurdi to WhatsApp groups in Otukpo, the mockery is relentless. “He donated what he didn’t pay for,” has become the joke of the week. Opposition voices are having an absolute field day, framing the episode as proof of deeper rot in the current Assembly leadership, while even some within the ruling party are quietly shaking their heads.
As for the Speaker, he has maintained a deafening silence so far. No press statement, no explanation, no “it’s a minor misunderstanding.” Just the sound of political capital draining away, one unpaid installment at a time.
In a state where constituents are still waiting for constituency projects promised years ago, the sight of a brand-new Prado being snatched back over unpaid debt feels less like an isolated embarrassment and more like a metaphor.
Moral of the story? If you’re going to do generosity for the cameras, at least make sure the debit alert has landed first. Otherwise, the repo man might just steal your shine, and the okada waiting outside will be the real gift that keeps on giving.
