The Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia has undeservedly received consistent attacks from some stakeholders of the APC in Benue State, whose claim is that they are dissatisfied with the manner the Governor is handling issues.
While it is customary to acknowledge the supremacy of the party in a democratic setting, it is quite unjust for party elders and stakeholders to become perilously agitated and disgruntled this early in the life of the government over claims of exclusion. At least not this early.
The indistinct tumult from a section of the leadership of APC in Benue state, which at first was construed to be the reaction of the party after the appointment of Local Government Caretaker committees has distrustingly snowballed into some frantic attempts to create chaos in the state and even threats to unseat the Governor.
Disagreements provide rare opportunities for reformation, but luciferously fabricating stories that have the potential to damage the whole system is not worth it. We should be moving forward to deliver on the promises we made to the good people of the state and not backward.
The Publicity Secretary of our party, in the state should not be racing ahead with a fire stick. His recent press releases consistently indicting government officials and raising alarm of a planned protest against President Tinubu, the Senate President, and the SGF is a mischief that is very uncommon.
No Benue State government official is planning any protest, anywhere. The whistle blow was purely informed out of mischief. Also drafting President Tinubu, the Senate President, and the SGF into some issues of misunderstanding within a political party in the State is demeaning.
Let it be on record that Governor Alia has no problem with the leadership of APC in Benue State. He has not done anything in isolation without due consultation with the leadership of the party.
Alia is barely six months in office and within these six months, he has held two expanded stakeholders meetings and a mini congress. This is uncommon.
Furthermore, there was an expanded stakeholders meeting of APC before the list of commissioners and Advisors were released. We can tell you in confidence that the party leadership made their inputs.
Again, in the wake of the selection of Local Government Caretaker committees, there was an expanded stakeholders meeting of APC where the party leadership at the local government was asked to honour the zoning and submit three names each from which one of the names will be appointed. This was to be done for the chairman, the Deputy Chairman, and the Secretary.
The caretaker committees from all the local government areas were selected from the names submitted by stakeholders of the party at those places, except the two supervisory councilors the Governor appealed to the party leadership to give to him. What then is the problem and where has Governor Alia gone wrong?
At every gathering, you hear Governor Alia begging the leadership of APC in Benue State to be patient with him. He holds the party so dear to his heart and he is always willing to do what will be beneficial to the party and the people of the state, but time and patience is all that he is asking for.
It should not become a culture of our party to fight anyone that is made Governor under its platform. Instead we should be asking ourselves questions that bother on the overall wellbeing of the Benue people. How long do we expect Benue people to endure the scorching poverty? How long are we going to continue pitching vested interests against societal development? How long do we expect Benue civil servants to go without salaries? How long do we expect retirees to live without pensions? How long?
Benue State deserves more than this, and while we beg the APC party leadership to come out and state clearly what their problem is with the Governor, we still advise them to embrace watershed departures from the past and harness all vested interests (if there are) into building a Benue of our dream. Let us give up our essential comfort to purchase development for the state.
We must not as a party insist on wearing an inglorious appellation rooted from egomaniac, No!!
*Sir Tersoo Kula is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Benue State.
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