Group: Alia not prepared to govern Benue

The New Benue Development Agenda (NBDA) says the first six months of Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue state, is the worst since the return of democracy in 1999.

Describing Alia as unprepared for governance and without a clear blueprint, the group said the priest-turned-politician is the most lackluster of all governors elected into office.

The NBDA, which made this known in a statement signed by its president, Tersoo Hwande, in Lagos on Thursday, said it came to this conclusion after an extensive analysis of Alia’s administration.

Hwande said the governor has failed to live up to expectations and instead of delivering on his campaign promises, he has taken up unnecessary battles against perceived critics, stakeholders, and his party members.

The group, therefore, called on Alia to prioritise the citizens by engaging them and stakeholders on the way forward perhaps in the form of town hall meetings.

“Governor Alia’s election was seen as a sigh of relief. Being a Catholic priest, he was likened to the Biblical Moses who will take us to the Promised Land,” the statement said.

“We all campaigned for him. We mobilised our members from Lagos and other parts of the country to return home in support of the YesFather movement.

“However, six months later, we are ashamed of the same man. As critical stakeholders, we are compelled to make this public statement as our numerous private messages to His Excellency have fallen on deaf ears.

“At first, we thought the governor was on a steep learning curve and the ship of the state would be righted and put on the course being an unfamiliar terrain for him. But unfortunately, Alia is not ready to learn or accept his mistakes.

“The governor has become so power-drunk that he is now inaccessible to the electorate, stakeholders, and even his party members. Shame! Effective governance is about feedback and criticism. No one knows it all.

“Alia singlehandedly picked his advisers and commissioners. The appointments were done in a lopsided manner. Three months after their inauguration, some reportedly have no official cars, some without offices. No surprise we have heard of resignations.

“On August 1, during the closing ceremony of the 2023 Batch B Stream one Orientation course at the NYSC Orientation Camp Wannune, Tarka, Alia proudly declared that each NYSC member serving in the state would begin to receive a monthly allowance of N15,000. There are many other ‘audio promises’

“We are not even debating over the obviously contentious local government caretaker committees. All we want is for Alia to wake up from his slumber. He can read Proverbs 24 vs 33 and 34.”