Governor Hyacinth Alia has been a priest for the better part of his life. He has in this profession, wooed and enjoyed extensive followership and love by many of his Faith’s adherents and people of Benue State, with this fan base Alia is loved by his fans being largely gullible, sentimental individuals and/or religious mongers whose rational and constructive sense of judgement has become heavily blurred along the lines of skewed sentiments.
Even as it is strongly antithetical, that Benue State, the ordinarily Food Basket of the Nation has become the Hunger Capital of the Nation, and Youth Unemployment at record levels with the potent danger that these portends, these fan base, groups and individuals see no evil and say no evil in or of the administration and governance in the State.
Many of the misguided fans and praise singers of the Benue State governor, project him as the modern-day saint who was divinely manifested to correct the perceived mis-governances of the past administrations in the State. They therefore holds and project the view that governor Alia’s political career (plan) started in 2023 when he declared to run for governorship under the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC). But in reality, Alia’s priesthood has all the while been politically oriented, preparing him ahead of mainstream politics and it was therefore no surprise to many Benue Citizens when he declared his intention to run as the Governor of the State in 2022.
Like many other Politicians Alia had series of his strategies marshalled out in organising religiously and had used same to woo the gullible masses and succeed in his political quest, thus becoming the Governor of Benue State. His adopted Political method also seemingly paid off for him recorded great owing largely to keying it to the very commendable and already existing track record of the Late Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu who was also a Catholic priest that was elected under the platform of the SDP on the 2nd January, 1992 to become the Governor of Benue State.
Suffice is to say, that the love for Gov. Alia which is fueled by Gullibility, Tribal and Religious sentiments, coupled with the general consternation of Benue people against the total failure of the past administrations now faces the administration and governance in the state with is high risk derailment and total failure as there is presently complete lack of constructive critiques and visionary opposition to governance at the state level in Benue and the myriad of governance gaps from poor policies and policy implementations in the State. From the draconian scrapping of democratic structures at the local government levels and replacement with handpicked administors, to nepotic appointments, poor attention to infrastructure in the State, large-scale unemployment and hunger amongst several others, there is hardly any voice that points the hallowed Man of God, that all is not well with his administration so far in his first year of leadership as the Governor of Benue State.
Now, should Benue people be held responsible for over pampering their pet Governor thereby leading him into poor performance or Gov. Hycenth Alia should be held responsible and blamed for turning the People into a puppet? are questions seeking answers.
For the majority of Benue People, it’s either Gov. Alia is right in every action or “He is outrightly Right”. The highest level of Gullibility that is bestowed on all failures!
Under Gov. Alia’s first year, the Mantra of Benue State as the Food Basket of the National stands merely in words and tags, for in reality, it is the Hunger Capital of the Nation. Households across the State can barely afford two square meals in a Day and the State Govt has only poor plan regarding food security.
Yet Alia is Right! There is no plan whatsoever towards turning Benue State from consumption to a manufacturing state as there is no meaningful blue print for a mechanised and industrialized Benue State yet Alia is Right! No plan for the massive youth unemployment ravaging the State, yet Alia is Right! With absolute disrespect to the right of the general electorates in Benue State, Gov. Alia disrespectfully went against the rule of law binding on every Nigerian as endorsed by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) to deliberately dissolve a whole democratically elected local council members in Benue State yet, again Alia is Right!
Gov. Alia’s appointments till date is fuelled with sentiment and nepotism. His appointments are very unrighteous even as he stands accused of having only Loyalists from his Local Government and particularly those from “KYAN” constituency in Vandeikya LGA where he comes from only appointed as his cabinet members as if governance is supposed to be so skewed, yet Alia is Right! There is no little changes in the ugly situation of insecurity in the Benue to show the presence of new leadership in the state yet Alia is Right!
It is obvious that Alia is out to run Benue State like a church parish where no one can question his actions as mentioned by Donald Iorfa. It is high time, Benue people understands that SOVEREIGNTY lies with them and no leader, moreso an elected individual, is above them.
Gov. Hycenth Alia was elected to serve the people and not to emasculate them mentally. As the Reggae legend rightly puts it, mental slavery is the worst form of enslavement.
They must therefore not forget that over pampering him and dancing unreservedly to his whims and caprices, would ultimately lead to one of the worst failures Benue would ever record in her political history. Alia is not a god; he is a human being and must be corrected and called to order when need be.
God bless Benue State, God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.