From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Benue State Governor Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia has urged the people to embrace the new year 2024 with renewed hope, determination, and courage to face the challenges that lies ahead.
Governor Alia who gave this advice in his New Year message on Monday in Makurdi, said he believes in the unwavering spirit of resilience that characterizes the people of Benue state, ‘a spirit that will propel us to greater heights’.
He reiterated the commitment of his administration to the holistic development of Benue state that encompasses various sectors, including agriculture, health, and education.
‘We shall invest substantial resources and expertise into these areas, with a focus on modernizing our agricultural practices, improving access to quality healthcare, and providing quality education for our children. Together, we shall lay a solid foundation for a prosperous and healthy society”, he said.
Meanwhile, in another vein, the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP in a new year message signed by its Publicity Secretary, Chief Bemgba Iortyom, made available to Peoples’ Daily on Monday, accused Governor Alia of governing the State as a narcissist who sees himself superior to everyone in knowledge and status, a despot who fancies his realm of power to be limitless and unquestionable, and a revanchist with a lively appetite for vengeance against perceived opponents and enemies.
“The same narcissism and despotism has attended the distribution of palliative grants to the state by the federal government to cushion the harsh effects of removal of subsidy on petroleum products in the country, with the governor administering the grant without recourse to accountability and transparency.
“To date, no one is aware how much the state has received from the federal government as palliative grant, which is both a loan to be repaid, and a largesse, no one knows how much each of the acclaimed 100 buses acquired with the grant cost, whether they were new or second-hand refurbished ones, or what process they were procured through”, Bemgba alleged.
