Any time that I listen to the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia speaking about the security situation in the state and the state’s resources, I ask myself how does this man sleep after telling such barefaced lies? I keep wondering if indeed the man was ordained as a priest.
Yesterday, Governor Alia was at the presidential villa and after meeting with President Bola Tinubu, he spoke with journalists on the state of affairs in Benue State. Alia looked into television cameras and said that in the past one year, insecurity has not been witnessed in Benue State. He said that all the 23 local government areas of the state are now peaceful. Alia added that Benue farmers have all gone back to their farms as attacks and the killings have ended! A tear dropped on my cheek when I heard that claim! How could this man be saying all these? What does he hope to achieve with those lies?
Only two days ago, governor Alia was on television dragging with the House of Representatives member for Kwande/Ushongo, Terseer Ugbor over a truck of relief materials for internally displaced people (IDPs) in Kwande. Thousands of Kwande people, like in other parts of Benue State, have been displaced by Fulani terrorists who have been attacking them on weekly and sometimes daily basis. Yet, Governor Alia does not want Nigerians to know what is happening in the state. He wants to be seen as the man with the magic wand who has brought absolute peace and ended all forms of attacks on the people!
Amnesty International recently reported that in the last one (under Alia’s leadership) over 2,600 Benue people have been killed and over 50 communities in the state have suffered a total of 135 attacks. The report further said that 18 out of the 23 local government areas of the state have been adversely affected by the ongoing insecurity.
The statistics further indicate that within governor Alia’s first year in office, Fulani herdsmen have taken over many parts of the state and are in firm control. The pastoralists decide who goes where. The Fulani have appointed some of their members as leaders of the occupied communities. The indigenous villagers have to pay the armed herders money to allow them to go to their farms, and the villagers are under an unwritten oath never to complain if their farms are destroyed by Fulani cattle.
Whenever someone dies, the Fulani demand payment before allowing the bereaved family to bury their dead. That is the grim situation currently in Benue State under Alia.
Shockingly, the governor constantly says there is relative peace in Benue State. He does not want the rest of the country to know that Benue is under siege with constant Fulani herders’ attacks. He has shown nonchalance towards the safety of the people.
A few months ago, five members of the Benue State House of Assembly narrowly escaped death when they came under heavy attacks by armed herdsmen at Tyo-Mu community along Makurdi – Gboko road. The lawmakers ran into the armed herders who were at the time attacking the community, while on their way from Katsina-Ala LGA for a public hearing on a bill for a law to provide for the establishment of Benue State Civil Protection Guards. That same bill that Governor Alia wanted to use and repeal the anti-open grazing law.
Governor Alia allocates to himself N1.5 billion every month in the guise of security votes, yet he has not bought even one patrol vehicle for the security agencies since he took over.
Alia also lies effortlessly about resources of Benue State. Since he became the governor, the man has ended transparency and accountability. No one knows how much the state receives and what he does with the money.
Reports have it that governor Alia is amassing amazing wealth and has bought palatial mansions in Abuja, Lagos, Europe and the United States. He is also said to be setting up his private construction company so that all government projects will be handled by the company.
Governor Alia’s only acclaimed achievement in one year is payment of salaries and pensions as if other states are not doing so. He receives almost four times what the previous government was receiving, so payment of wages shouldn’t be a problem to him. He is not paying overhead to Ministries, departments and agencies of government.
What about local government funds? The 23 local governments receive nearly the same amount that the state government gets from the federation’s account, but governor Alia, a man who promised to grant full autonomy for local governments sits on the money and only gives peanuts to the councils for salaries. He sacked duly elected local government officials and installed his stooges through whom he has taken charge of the local government funds.
Benue people made a big mistake in 2023!
Dr. Awunah writes from Durumi, Abuja.