One-Connect

SIXTY DAYS AFTER: BENUE STINKS

Today is exactly 60 days in the administration of Rev. Fr Hyacinth Iormem Alia, Executive Governor of Benue State. The Governor who was sworn-in on the 29th May, 2023 has exactly 40 days left to clock 100 days in office.

Recall that on the day of his swearing-in, the Governor directed that all government accounts - those of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, be frozen. The directive was obviously meant to allow for checks and balances where necessary, concerning financial transactions done by the outgone administration.

While it is normal for a new administration to carry out checks and balances on a previous administration, it has to be done in a manner that the system is not suffocated or killed because if that happens, the aim of the exercise is defeated ab initio.

Findings from reliable sources revealed that all the MDAs in the state including Government House now stink with suffocating odour because toiletries needed for routine maintenance of offices which were procured by the outgone administration have been exhausted and the resources to procure new ones are not forthcoming.

Staff of the various MDAs now discipline themselves in such a manner that they avoid using the conveniences in their offices because as you approach it, a strong stench pushes you back with the kind of force you can only imagine.

Unfortunately, within these two months of Governor Alia's reign, heads of MDAs in acting capacity have refused to complain about the deteriorating nature of their offices largely because of their desire to hold unto "juicy" positions. Otherwise, the state of the MDAs is pathetic and needs to be condemned in its entirety.

In addition to the nearly uninhabitable state of the offices of those MDAs and even Government House, the Governor Alia-led administration made heartwarming promises that were meant to be fulfilled in the first one hundred days of his administration. Some of the promises include:

a) Return of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs currently taking refuge in various camps across the state to their ancestral homes. The IDPs were displaced from their homes by militia herdsmen.

b) Payment of arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities of civil servants both at the state and local government levels among others.

It is regrettable however, that in the last 60 days, it was only yesterday that the Governor personally visited one or two of the IDP camps to see for himself, the pitiable condition of the IDPs, whom he promised return to their ancestral homes in his first 100 days in office. But even that visit was necessitated by the arrival of the United Nations Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Dr Mathias Schmale who was in the state to see the situation the IDPs are in.

During the visit, Governor Alia, who during the campaigns, accused the Samuel Ortom administration of willfully keeping the IDPs in camps for monetary gains, confirmed that over two million people had been displaced from the herders invasion of the state. Maybe he also wants to transact business with the IDPs before kick-starting the process of their return home. Only God knows his plans regarding their return as he earlier promised.

Also in the last 60 days, while other states have already started executing projects and rolling out palliatives to cushion the negative effects of the fuel subsidy removal and its attendant hardship on their citizens, our Governor is busy persecuting and harassing officials of the outgone administration in the name of assets recovery, open condemnation of "dilapidated" office or government complexes among other statements like "the state civil service is in the Intensive Care Unit and needs to be resuscitated" etc.

And to confirm the evil intent of such open condemnations meant to curry support, the Governor had never demonstrated, as a man of God, visited and expressed open commendation for the wonderful edifices put up by his predecessor, Chief Samuel Ortom in order to portray to the public that he can condemn and commend where necessary.

In the last 60 days, Governor Alia's major achievements include:

1. Reversal of promotions and removal of certain allowances of primary school teachers where people on grade level 12 were paid salaries of grade level 7 staff.

2. Sacking of democratically elected local government Chairmen and councilors against subsisting court judgments.

3. Alleged recovery of vehicles from past government officials.

4. Promise to construct roads in North Bank and commission same in his first 100 days in office.

5. Announcement of DGSAs, Treasurers, Cashiers and other genuine staff of local governments as ghost workers.

6. Discovery of 2,500 ghost workers without making public the list of the “ghosts”.

7. Alleged pruning of SUBEB salary wage bill from N1.2b to N800m, thereby saving N400m for the state - but with much cries from primary school teachers.

8. Total disrespect/disregard for personalities and the platform that gave him opportunity to ascend the seat of power.

As concerned Benue citizens, we hope to keep a tab on the Governor's administration in the remaining 40 days with much curiosity to see how his beautiful promises will be fulfilled without reclining on the timeline.

Jimin Geoffrey writes as a concerned Benue citizen.