By chiangi Avese
The unmistakable gloom and despair on the faces of the Benue masses, an indication of the deep seated dissatisfaction with the political class in the State for the past 25 years of democratic governance, has been replaced with radiance and cheers wherever you go in the State as the seeming magic wand of the Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, takes on governance to the ideal path of pro-people.
At his inauguration, the Reverend Father left no one in doubt that he had his dreams for the State in focus and a proper grip on what he intended to do. His measured actions taken for the good of the people has been answered prayers to the peasants of the state, whom, for long, have been feeling abandoned by successive administrations. His speech resonated with the situation on ground to wit: “our State, Benue, is broken and needs a reset. The moment is here. And the time is now”.
Gov. Alia’s marked departure from the political administrative norm of ignoring the general populace and its needs, and instead, concentrating on horrendous primitive accumulation of the commonwealth in a crass for materialism, to pro-people policies marked so far, by action and positive results, has been received with accolades.
Coming from the Catholics pulpit, an institution with known propensity for high quality training and discipline, uncommon capacity in human management, Governor Alia’s work with the wretched of the Benue communities who populates the rural areas, knew the people’s needs and therefore, came into governance with a mind made up to meet the needs, but, rock the known status quo’s boat. His seeming impulsive actions on policy matters are actually meant to bypass political intrigues which often, whittled down good intentions and actions.
Alia’s departure from the era of settling party chieftains with contracts which have direct bearings on the masses, but which often were either shoddily done, or abandoned after collection of substantial amount of the contract sums, have handsomely benefited the Benue masses in the past one year of his administration.
Early in his administration, Gov. Alia in keeping with his promise of industrialization of the State through agriculture and massive rural development by creating the conditions that promote private sector driven industrialization, facilitated the procurement of over 100 trucks of fertilizer that was distributed to farmers across the state at a massively subsidized rates. The normal fertilizer distribution routes had been through party stakeholders who criminally diverted the product thereby causing scarcity, and then turned around to sell it to farmers at exorbitant rate.
The administration is engineering agricultural revolution and growth by making available machineries to aide farmers efforts, and declaring to the world, the agricultural potentials and invitation to whomsoever would come to take advantage of the yearning opportunities.
Just few weeks into office, Governor Alia awarded contract for the construction of 16 Nos. township roads for the Makurdi metropolis. Work on majority of the roads has been completed with only few still under construction and nearing completion. Two roads in Jeichira Federal Constituency have been approved by the governor for construction in the New Year of his regime. The above is a manifestation of the planned massive roads network to link the 23 local government areas of the state to ease movement of people, goods and services across the state.
Works on construction of two underpass bridges in Makurdi and Gboko are on-going while plans for a possible one in Otukpo is also on. The streets lighting projects in Makurdi, since completed, has added beauty to the state capital, while township roads in Katsina-Ala, Gboko and Otukpo are are been considered for construction to give the towns a face-lift.
Water supply and sanitation facilities, like the Greater Makurdi Works that have for long remained a “Capital Hole” draining the counterpart fundings of development partners as well as the State meagre resources are receiving the needed and required attention across the state. With it, it is hoped that, the age-long water problem in the State would soon become a thing of the past.
Also, worried by the epileptic and or, near non-existent electricity supply, State government under Gov. Alia has, after a critical assessment of the negative impacts of the situation to the state economy, entered into partnership with Sinoki System Limited, for the establishment of a Hybrid Solar Panel Factory in Benue State.
The Governor at the signing of the memorandum of understanding described the partnership as a quick fix to the epileptic power challenge faced in the state. He explained that for every business to thrive, there must be some stability in electricity and he was excited about the partnership. He pointed out that, the partnership would be a plus to the State as it will bring about the establishment of Hybrid Solar Panel Company in Benue State, through a Private Partnership agreement between the Benue State Government and Sinoki System Limited.
He had earlier in the year partnered with the Federal Government and gotten approval for the rehabilitation of Makurdi – Gboko -Ugbema road, Aliade – Gboko- Buruku road, Gboko – Ihugh – TseMker road and Makurdi – Naka roads.
Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s innovativeness in governance and “too much” identification with masses seems to be an irritation to party stakeholders and the old order. Party chieftains have been up in arms against him and the administration, faulting his every move made, no matter how well intentioned.
By his pro-people policies and actions like the provision of 100 buses to the Benue Links Transport Company to ease transportation cost when transporters had constituted themselves into Sherlocks against the generality of the Benue masses, contracts for the 16 roads, procurement of 100 trucks of fertilizer earlier mentioned, registration of examination for final year students of government approved schools, payment of worker’s salaries and pension to retirees who were dieing hopelessly, ICT training for 10,000 youths and many other initiatives for the good of the common Benue people, the stakeholders accused him of sins by which, he has come short of their “glory”.
The stakeholders’ consistent persistent demands on the governor to service what analysts consider their “whims which are too capricious against the generality of the Benue people, view the governor as treating them with flippancy. Their pride, they say, has been fractured. And their authority made of no consequence by the governor who rode to power by the instrumentality of their structures.
The resultant face-off has torn the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in the State, right down the middle with the group led by Mr. Benjamin Omakolo loyal to the governor thanking God for the gift of Governor Alia. While the other group led by Com. Austin Agada remains loyal to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Sen. Dr. George Akume and accusing the governor of gross ingratitude.
The governor is by every consideration, winning the war of persiflage as he has continued to stand by the poor of the Benue masses in carrying out programs that hugely benefits and reposition their lives. In this regards Health, Education and Agricultural reforms aim at having direct bearings to the rural populace are on. The Benue State University Teaching Hospital, now repositioned to serve the people better, continues to take delivery of state-of-the-art equipments, recruitment of specialized personnel to man the equipments as well as support staff were recently engaged.
Councils for the state owned tertiary institutions, according to the governor, has already being constituted and charged with the responsibility of ensuring the Benue children and their parents do not unnecessarily suffer to access education, will be made known in the next few days.
The governor has maintained an accord con-cordial working relationship with Legislatures and the Judiciary to enables a seamless Executive to the other arms operations. While the Ministry of Justice
has in the past few months been empowered to enhanced its statutory operations, the State Assembly Complex was earlier in the year, renovated and upgraded to meet current realities. A well equipped clinic was also added for the use of members, staff and their family members.
He has also wooded Security Chiefs in the State’s protracted troubles with Fulani herdsmen in a new approach towards peace. The Army, Police, Civil Defense Corps, and the DSS are in this new approach, to work together with the newly formed Civil Protection Guards which will be serving at the village levels to report to the conventional security, any semblance of breach of peace.
The APC’s intra-party squabbles involving the party’s State Working Committee (SWC) on one hand, the party’s stakeholders, and the governor has been enough distractions in the last one year. The intended derailment to governor Alia’s administration’s purposefulness with mundane accusations, threats and promises of “hell and brimstone”, is not coterminous with democratic norms. A truce aimed at bringing to an end this one year party war will be beneficial to the Benue people.
With the governor’s plan of revamping and building a minimum of 10 industries within the four years of his administration, it is only reasonable that he is given a breathing space to do that, and position the APC for a longer romance with the Benue electorates.
The accolades and awards that has trailed governor Alia in one year, is a resounding testament of acceptance not only of the Benue masses, but a nation wide recognition of the Benue State Governor, whose veering from party politics, a normality that had held the common man developmentally hostage, is benefiting the people more.
