Gov doesn’t care about our welfare, Benue federal lawmakers tell Tinubu

The rift between Benue State federal lawmakers elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress and the state governor, Hyacinth Alia, took a fresh turn on Thursday as the lawmakers called on President Bola Tinubu and other leaders to immediately intervene to save the face of the party in the state.

The federal lawmakers made the demand while addressing a press conference in Abuja after their end-of-year retreat at the National Assembly Complex on Thursday.

They accused the governor of behaving like a conqueror who does not care about their welfare and status.

At the briefing were Senators Titus Zam (Benue North-West, Emmanuel Udende, (Benue North-East), Dickson Tarkighir, member representing Makurdi/Guma Federal Constituency, Philip Agbese, (Ado/Ogbadibo, Okpoku Federal Constituency, Terseer Ugbor), Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency; Austin Achado, Gwer-East/Gwer-West; Sekav Iyortyom, Buruku Federal Constituency; and Sesoo Ikpagher, (Konshisha/ Vandeikya Constituency).

Leader of the Caucus, Zam, who accused Alia of displaying dictatorial tendencies, said they have called the attention of the party’s leader and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, all to no avail.

While alleging that the governor was disrespecting members of the National Assembly, the lawmaker said, “Governor Alia since assumption of duty has not held any meeting with National Assembly members of Benue State who were elected on the same APC platform with him neither does he pick or return their telephone calls not to talk about consulting them on political matters in the state.

“He has assumed the posture of a conqueror who does not care about the welfare, nor status of National Assembly Members in his leadership of Benue State. In every State of the federation, members of NASS are working in synergy with their governors to attract development from the centre to their state of origin.”

He added, “We the undersigned are members of the National Assembly caucus elected on the APC platform from Benue State. Having watched with apprehension the absence of democratic leadership in Benue State in the last six months exemplified by the arrogant and egocentric conduct of Governor Alia, we have decided to draw the attention of Mr President and other leaders of APC in Nigeria to seek their immediate intervention before the fortunes of APC in Benue State are totally destroyed.

“It is necessary to state from the onset that, we have collectively and individually drawn the attention of the leader of the APC in Benue and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume who has on several occasions pleaded for patience from us in the anticipation of a possible change of attitude from Gov Alia, rather than change for the better.

“Gov Alia has become more emboldened and has continued to treat us and the party in general in the most disgusting, disrespectful and disingenuous manner.

“A background information on the status of APC in Benue State could be relevant at this juncture. Benue State APC, under the leadership of Akume as two terms former Governor of Benue, three times Senator, minister and now Secretary to the Government of the Federation had won elections and taken over power in 2015 after President Tinubu alongside other Nigerians formed the party in 2014.

“Unfortunately, the then Governor, Samuel Ortom betrayed the party and defected to the PDP, thus opening the chapter of a temporary set-back for APC in Benue State. Not daunted, the Benue APC under the leadership of Akume undertook a purposeful re-engineering of the Benue political landscape to reclaim her stolen mandate and return the State to the mainstream progressive politics in Nigeria. It is the now stronger APC that attracted Rev Fr Alia to desperately seek election on the party’s platform.”

Zam also stated that Alia only came to reap where he did not sow, saying his candidacy received rejection from older members of the party who felt aggrieved and resorted to standing by the advice of the leader of the party, Akume, whose counsel has always been for the party to keep praying for the governor to succeed.

He added, “In the first meeting of the stakeholders that was held in the Government House, the chairman of the party, Austine Agada, publicly went on his knees, took all the blame even though there was no blame and apologised to the governor and party members, requesting they put behind the state assembly imbroglio and come together to save the party

“In the meeting, the governor praised the leader of the party with a promise to always work together so that Benue and the party will enjoy democratic dividends.

“He also pledged that going forward he was going to involve the party and other critical stakeholders in sensitive decisions, particularly in the nomination of commissioners and local government caretaker committees, a promise he unfortunately kept in breach.

“In appointing his commissioners, His Excellency again exercised sole discretion without recourse to the normal tradition of requesting for nominations from the local governments and disregarded the zoning arrangements and permutations and went ahead to make his independent choices as he deemed soothing, again the party did not oppose him but rather gave him support since it was his own State Executive and Security Council and needed people he could vouch for.

“The nomination of caretaker committees to man the various local governments was when the party received the most humiliation, Governor Alia had thrown back to party members during the stakeholders meeting by demanding an immediate nomination of three candidates each for the position of Caretaker Chairman, Deputy and Secretary as well supervisory councillors across the twenty-three local government.

“The governor demanded two slots of supervisory councillors from each of the local governments, this was the first time a governor would demand such from the caretaker council formation against the usual one slot per local government.

“The party jubilantly agreed and followed the directive by holding meetings, and painstakingly submitting their various lists with a sigh of relief and a sense of belonging.

“But surprisingly, when the nominations were finally announced the party was amazed that 90 per cent of the names were outside the nominees that were sent to the governor at his directive.

“In all these misgivings and disaffection the announcement of the caretaker committee marked the pinnacle of a noticeably bad relationship between Governor Alia and APC in Benue State and this has angered a lot of party men and women in the State which can be justified by all standards,.”