By Peter Awunah, PhD
Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State is on the verge of setting a new record as the governor who made more promises than any of his predecessors but failed to keep the promises and also fought more enemies (real and imaginary) than all the past governors of the state.
Alia is also on record as a governor who shows little or no concern about the security of lives of his people. He is 10 months into governorship but it is difficult to point to which direction the priest-turned politician wants to take the state.
Before the 2023 elections, Alia made earthshaking and heaven-on-earth promises. He dubbed himself the best man for the seat of Governor. He condemned the then Governor Samuel Ortom whom he said had done nothing in 8 years. He also condemned all former governors of the state for “only diverting resources of the state” for their personal benefit. He said the state was in an intensive care unit and he, like a physician, was coming “to resuscitate and breathe life into it”.
Alia accused the then governor of arming the Livestock Guards and using them to impound Fulani cattle as the main reason for the attacks and killing of Benue people. He clearly expressed his zero faith in the law prohibiting open grazing of livestock in the state. For him, the law and its enforcement agency (livestock guards) were mere tools in the hands of the Ortom government to use against their political opponents. Are you still wondering why he sidelined the law when he took over as governor?
Alia promised to promote “peaceful coexistence and to reconcile Fulanis with Benue people”. This was why as soon as he was sworn-in as governor, Fulanis started returning with force to Benue State in accordance with Governor Alia’s promise. He had already demobilized and suspended the livestock guards, so the herders had a field day. In a matter of days, uncontrollable wailing erupted in many parts of the state. The armed herders were at it again slashing the throats of innocent Benue villagers and sacking communities.
With the volume of weeping and corpses displayed everyday in Benue communities, Governor Alia has not bothered to summon the State Security Council meeting. The only day his government tamely and reluctantly made a pronouncement on the spate of insecurity and asked the herders to “leave within 14 days”, he refused to make the pronouncement by himself and asked his deputy Sam Ode to do it. That again rekindled the suspicion that he had entered into a deal with Fulani elites to protect the nomads with their cattle, if elected as governor.
Also before the 2023 election, Alia promised that within his first 100 days in office, he would clear the backlog of salaries, pensions and gratuities. The people cheered with joy. But 10 months into his tenure, he is only paying salaries even with federal allocations now three times higher than what was obtainable in the past as a result of fuel subsidy removal. He has forgotten about the promise to clear arrears and he doesn’t want anyone to remind him.
Also while campaigning, Alia promised to revive moribund industries of the state to give Benue youths job opportunities. Ten months after, he has not visited any of the industries. He is saying nothing and doing nothing about the comatose government enterprises.
His administration has embarked on the construction of very short streets within Makurdi totaling about 16 of mere 15 kilometers put together at a staggering cost of N9 billion. He has also embarked on some white elephant projects known as flyovers in Makurdi and Gboko. I can tell you for free that those projects are mere conduit pipes for draining resources of the state. How do you construct a flyover in a place where township roads are impassable?
In less than a year, Alia is setting another record as the governor who is accused of stinking corruption in the shortest time in office. Two major petitions by well respected civil society groups were last month sent against his government to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, the Department of State Services, DSS, the National Assembly and other relevant authorities raising questions on the whereabouts of over N66 billion under the Benue Governor’s watch within only his first 5 months in office. Part of the funds belong to the 23 local governments while the rest belongs to the state government.
Alia runs affairs of Benue State like a church parish. He has locked all accounts of government ministries and agencies and only he has access to the funds and spends as it pleases him.
Last year, governor Alia increased his approval limit from N50 million to N250 billion which gives him ample room to take out whatever amount he wants and at any time without bothering about the approval of the state executive council. If you don’t call that the height of financial recklessness and rascality, I don’t know what else qualifies to be called as such. No Benue governor has ever been so intemperate in handling resources of the state as Hyacinth Alia is.
Another record being set by governor Alia is the number of fights he has kickstarted with people who don’t want to fight him. In his first two days in office, Alia wore boxing gloves and invited the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume for a bout. Akume has since refused to join Alia in the boxing ring but the Governor has continued to punch empty air and throw jabs in the direction of his unwilling and absent opponent. His aim is to take over the APC structures and tell those who suffered to build the party for years to go and hug a transformer.
He is at the same time fighting his predecessor Ortom whom he recently set up two commissions of inquiry to probe.
At the same time, Alia is in battle with all members of the National Assembly from Benue State whom he describes as “ubokoti mbaiorov (meaning hollow/empty men who have no value). No day passes without his aides throwing insults at the Benue Senators and House of Representatives members.
But governor Alia is not aware (Yes Faga) that his rating in the minds of Benue people has drastically dropped with his popularity also heading down the cesspool.
* Dr Awunah writes from Durumi, Abuja.
