From Akombo Aondona, Makurdi
The Benue State Governor-Elect, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has said his victory in the March 18, 2023 Governorship Election in the state was made possible by people’s support.
Alia stated this while addressing voters, party supporters, Benue people and residents who thronged his residence to celebrate his victory at the poll.
According to the governor elect, with his choice, Benue has voted for prosperity and happiness.
He assured that their efforts would yield good results, starting from when he assumed office on May 29, 2023.
Alia added: “I thank you all. You have made it possible. You have done it to yourselves. I appreciate your efforts.”
Also, speaking with The Dream Daily Newspaper at Alia’s residence, a Catholic priest cum Alia’s confidant from Gboko who did not want his name in print due to the nature of his job, advised the governor-elect to be wary of sycophants who might latched on to his popularity and openness to give him wrong, anti-people advice.
The priest urged Alia to assemble a team of technocrats, disciplined and experienced, to help him deliver on his campaign promises to the Benue people.
The priest said: “Now that he has won the election, we are very excited and hopeful that he will deliver his mandates. Father Alia is somebody I have known for a long time. When we were growing up, we heard about him. He is a passionate, merciful, loving, kind and people-oriented priest. He has been in the ministry of healing. It was out of pity and mercy for the people that he started that redemption work, spiritually. Now that he has had to be a political emancipator, we believe that he will build Benue infrastructure. He will build us socially, he will empower people so that we will grow and attained the level other societies have attained. So, I am very hopeful that he has the capacity to deliver on the manifesto he announced to the people of Benue State before they voted him.”
The Catholic priest advised the Benue people to support the incoming Alia administration in order to usher in the new Benue they deserved.
His words: “The advice I have for the Benue people is that the Rev. Father is a human being. Some of us who come around have seen a lot of fake people. Some are coming as praise singers, some are coming to benefit and for some it’s business to enjoy. They don’t see it as an opportunity for them to help Father Alia. I advise him to be careful of those who come around him.
“And I see and hear of people decamping from other political parties to join him. He should be careful and scrutinize them. I advise that he should take experts on board and not be sentimental in selecting those that will assist him. He should focus on quality, pick those that are disciplined so that they will assist in this task of building Benue.
Similarly, a chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and former governorship aspirant on the platform of the party in Benue, Engr. Atsar Terver, has advise the governor-elect to take his victory as the Will of God and carry people, along irrespective of party, religion, economic and tribal affiliations.
Atsar said he expected Alia to implement the following programmes as governor: Clear outstanding salaries and pension; sanitize the civil service and determine the real wage bill; free local government funds and provide controlled financial autonomy; set up a Produce Management Agency; establish the Benue Development Commission; upgrade primary schools and recruit more teachers; decentralise Benue State University with a campus in Zone A and Zone C; remodel Benue Links into a modern transport company; open up new intrastate roads; reconstruct Gboko-tse Mker, Awajir-Oju, Gboko-Aliede roads; and revive the cattle ranch at Ikogen.
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