By Samson Ochono
During the campaigns for the 2023 elections, the man who is now the governor of the state, a priest of the Catholic Church (though suspended), ceaselessly attacked the then Governor Samuel Ortom for visiting China many times and signing partnership agreements with Chinese companies for the development of the state. Alia was a vocal critic of Governor Ortom who described the then governor’s efforts to attract Chinese investors to the state as a waste of the people’s resources. He vehemently criticized Ortom for forging partnerships with Chinese companies, saying that those alliances siphoned off the state’s resources without delivering tangible benefits.
Even when Governor Ortom’s efforts began to yield results with some Chinese investors coming to the state such as the giant ethanol company located along Makurdi-Gboko road known as Pure Bio Tech Company limited, Alia and his supporters lied to Benue people that the company was owned by Ortom. Sadly, gullible people bought the cheap lie and blackmail against Ortom.
But today, the same China that Alia saw as not good enough for Benue State has become a haven of sorts. As we speak, Governor Alia is in China leading the largest delegation ever in the history of Benue State to any part of the world. He has claimed that they are in the Asian country to find a magic wand that can turn Benue to a “smart state” (whatever that means).
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Yesterday, Governor Alia posted on his Facebook page, pictures of him and his subordinates signing a “partnership agreement” with a caption which read “At Huawei Technologies Headquarters in Shenzhen, China, we signed a historic partnership to build a Smart Benue State!”
The political landscape of Benue State is witnessing a striking shift as governor Alia now finds himself engaging in the very practices he condemned. He appears to be saying that the China of his time is different from the China of Ortom’s era. The irony is stark!
The governor, who pledged transparency and accountability is now in China, accompanied by a large delegation funded by the very resources of Benue State he once vowed to protect. Alia’s announcement on social media, touting a partnership with Huawei Technologies to “transform Benue State into a modern, digitally connected hub,” raises serious questions about his integrity and commitment to the people of Benue State.
This dramatic reversal not only smacks of hypocrisy but also reflects a deep disregard for the fiscal responsibility that should guide governance. Alia’s trip, framed as a step toward innovation and modernization, appears more like a public relations stunt than a substantive initiative capable of fostering real change in the lives of Benue people. The question looms large: what tangible benefits can Benue expect from this deal with Huawei, and who will bear the costs?
Critics are already arguing that Alia is establishing his private business empire and wants Huawei to be the driver of the investment. He has already established a bakery, water factory, fertilizer company and is currently building a brewery, all in Makurdi. The companies are registered as private companies at the Corporate Affairs Commission using the name of one Raymond Asemakaha who is Alia’s relative and who is the head of the state’s investment company BIPC, but the public has been made to believe that the companies are owned by the Benue State Government.
Alia’s decision to pursue the same path, despite having denounced it during his predecessor’s time in office, has exposed him as a double-faced individual who pretends a lot, lies frequently, exhibits nauseating hypocrisy and is a fraud!
For a year and half in office, Alia has refused to disclose the financial position of the state. No one knows what comes in and how the funds are spent. Federal allocations have tripled since President Bola Tinubu removed fuel subsidy, yet, governor Alia’s only achievement is payment of salaries and pensions. He has refused to pay the arrears of salaries and is now refusing to implement the N70,000 minimum wage for workers. He is said to have recently told labour leaders in the state that his government can only pay N40,000 minimum wage!
Township roads within Makurdi, the Benue State capital have all collapsed and become impassable. The roads have not been maintained since Alia assumed office in May last year. He has a knack for misplaced priorities like the construction of an underpass at High Level Makurdi where there are never traffic jams. Roads in that part of Makurdi are in bad condition, but Alia is more interested in an underpass.
Governor Alia has also abandoned the safety of the people. Insecurity has skyrocketed in the state with armed herders attacking and killing innocent Benue people while displacing thousands of others. The supposed chief security officer of the state says nothing and does nothing! He is busy flying in private jets across the world and signing fake contracts.
But that is the price of electing a man who didn’t develop any church, did not build even a single block as a parish priest for several churches where he served. Next time, I hope Benue voters will be wise.
* Ochono writes from Apo, Abuja.
