…Gov Wants to Rename
Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia is in the process of inaugurating what his government calls a new security outfit. But investigation has revealed that the government of Alia has not recruited any fresh security personnel. What his government has done is to assemble members of the already existing Benue State Community Volunteer Guards which was established by the immediate past administration of Governor Samuel Ortom and put them into the same camp that Ortom established and is giving them the same training which they already received. Thereafter, the Alia government will “launch” them at an elaborate ceremony in Makurdi and claim that they have established a new security outfit for the state.
Already, through the office of his Security Adviser, Governor Alia has selected some members of the volunteer guards from each ward of the state who are currently in camp undergoing the same training that they were given during Ortom. No new recruitments have been made. What will be new will be a new name for the security organization, their uniforms, combat boots, head berets and belts. Every other thing is what Governor Ortom did.
At the end of the day, Governor Alia will “majestically” drive into IBB Square Makurdi where all the Ortom-recruited Volunteer Guards will be assembled and using highly phonetic English declare that his government has launched a new security organization “to complement the efforts of the other security agencies in tackling security challenges bedeviling the state.”
Governor Alia is set to change the name of the Community Volunteer Guards to a new name because he does not want the signature of his predecessor to continue to appear on the government establishment.
It is indeed disappointing and alarming what Governor Alia is up to. Merely rebranding an existing security outfit in the state without any meaningful changes or improvements does not only represent a wasteful expenditure of taxpayer’s money but also a pointless act of duplication that serves no real purpose other than erasing the legacy of his predecessor.
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By only changing the name of the Volunteer Guards, Governor Alia is engaging in a superficial exercise that does not address the genuine security concerns of the state. Instead of focusing on enhancing the effectiveness and capabilities of the existing security personnel, the governor’s decision to rebrand the outfit is an obvious lack of vision and leadership in addressing the security challenges facing Benue State at a time people are being slaughtered like animals and many others chased away from their ancestral homes.
It is evident that Governor Alia’s actions are driven more by a desire to erode the achievements of his predecessor Samuel Ortom rather than a genuine commitment to improving security and ensuring the safety of Benue people. This political posturing at the expense of taxpayer’s money is not only irresponsible but also a disservice to the people who rely on the government to provide adequate security and protection.
Whoever advised Governor Alia to embark on the rebranding of an existing security outfit without recruiting new personnel or implementing substantive is out to undermine the very people the present government came to serve.
My personal opinion is that Governor Alia should discard his decision to rename the Benue State Community Volunteer Guards because it is a misguided and wasteful endeavour that does not address the underlying security challenges facing the state. What the people want to see are concrete measures to improve security rather than engaging in superficial and politically motivated actions that do not benefit the people of Benue State.
Signed:
Amos Uchiv
President, Defenders of Democracy (DoD)
