A prominent indigene of Benue State and kinsman of Governor Hyacinth Alia, Mr. Joseph Waya, has petitioned Pope Leo XIV, urging the Catholic Church to intervene over what he described as the governor’s divisive style of governance and alleged misconduct.
In a letter addressed to the Supreme Pontiff through the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty, Waya alleged that the governor, who is an ordained priest of the Catholic Church, engaged in corruption, political intimidation, and actions capable of bringing the image of the Church into disrepute.
“The purpose of this petition is to bring to Your Holiness’s attention the conduct of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, an ordained priest who entered politics and was elected Governor of Benue State, Nigeria, on 29th May 2023.
“His subsequent actions in office have caused considerable concern amongst the faithful and pose a significant threat to the reputation of the Catholic Church in Nigeria,” Waya wrote.
He accused the governor of corruption, divisiveness, and frosty relations with the Catholic hierarchy in Benue, stressing that Alia’s administration has “engaged in destructive conflicts with virtually every institution and individual who disagrees with him.”
He further claimed the governor’s handling of security had worsened herders’ attacks on rural communities.
Waya maintained that Alia’s conduct “actively undermines the Church’s moral authority and threatens to divide both the Church and its followers.”
“I humbly and fervently appeal to Your Holiness to take a decisive stand regarding Rev. Fr. Alia’s role in politics and its impact upon the Church.
“His misconduct is dividing the Church, undermining its reputation, and causing scandal to the faithful,” the petition concluded.