The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in
Benue State has taken it up against the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia over what it described as the worsening insecurity ravaging the state, collapsed local government system, persistent strikes in tertiary institutions and crippling healthcare delivery in state-owned hospitals and primary health centres among other unions in the state.
The party lamented that while Benue State is passing through intractable challenge arising from pockets of killings by armed herdsmen terrorists, resisted local government financial autonomy, ongoing strike in tertiary institutions among others, the governor was busy hoovering around Aso Villa and holding media interviews “marketing fiction as reality and propaganda as governance”.
According to the party, in a statement by its state publicity secretary, Mr. Bright Yima Antyo, ‘Benue remains one of most underperforming states in the federation’, despite the receipt of what it called humongous allocation from the federation account.
PDP reaction was to the governor’s outings where he granted media interviews in Abuja that there was peace in the state despite killings by armed herdsmen, up to date in payment of salaries of workers at all levels among other things.
The PDP regretted the recurring attacks in Kwande, Agatu, Gwer West, Guma, Makurdi, Ukum, Okpokwu, Logo, Katsina-Ala (where 18 people were killed at Sai) and other parts of the state with scores displaced, saying it was disturbing that at a time when communities are under attack, the governor is busy polishing his political profile.
“For a governor whose state is bleeding daily from incessant attacks by armed herdsmen and other criminal elements, claiming that peace has returned to Benue is not merely misleading; it is an insult to the memory of those who have lost their lives and a cruel mockery of thousands of displaced people scattered across IDP camps
The tragedy of Benue today is not merely the insecurity confronting the people. It is the fact that the governor appears more interested in denying reality than confronting it”.
On the collapsed local government administration, the party lamented that the system is under the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), stressing that local governments in the state have remained financially strangulated since the inception of the Alia administration, as they have been unable to execute projects to reflect financial independence.
“Perhaps the most astonishing falsehood of the entire outing was Governor Alia’s claim that he has granted full autonomy to local governments.
“Benue people know that local governments in the state have remained financially strangulated since Alia became governor! Communities across the state can attest that councils have been unable to execute projects to reflect financial independence. The governor cannot deceive the people into believing that autonomy exists simply because he says so at a press conference.
What is even more disturbing is that despite unprecedented revenues accruing to states following fuel subsidy removal, Benue remains one of the most underperforming states in the federation”, the PDP said.
Alluding to the ongoing strike action embarked upon by over six tertiary institutions including the state-owned Moses Orshio Adasu University (formerly Benue State University) among other unions over accumulated unpaid salaries, the PDP blasted the governor for deceiving Nigerians that salary and pension challenges have become history in the state.
The party questioned, “If salary and welfare issues have been resolved, why are academic staff in state-owned tertiary institutions under the aegis of Academic Staff Unions of Tertiary Institutions in Benue State (ASUTIBS) currently on strike? Why has ASUU at Moses Adasu University, Makurdi remained on an indefinite industrial action? Why has Law Officers Association of Nigeria (LOAN) Benue State Chapter withdrawn their services? Why have health workers in the state gone on strike, crippling healthcare delivery in state-owned hospitals and primary health centres? Why are judiciary staff on strike? Why did local government workers recently embark on strike”?
It said, “a government that cannot keep its tertiary institutions open, its hospitals functional and its workforce consistently motivated has no moral basis to celebrate imaginary achievements”
The party advised Governor Alia to subject himself to a robust, open and unscripted question-and-answer session with the media community in the state where he would be asked difficult questions that cannot be answered with rehearsed propaganda as according to it, no amount of grandstanding inside Aso Rock can rewrite the painful realities confronting people of the state.