ALIA, THE WORST GOVERNOR IN NIGERIA UNDER TINUBU’S SUBSIDY REMOVAL POLICY
…His only aim is to do better than Ortom
By Tordue Gudu
We must not shy away from pointing out where something is critically amiss. Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia must understand that his only objective about governance should not be to surpass what his predecessor(s), particularly former Governor Samuel Ortom did, but to measure at par with governors in other states under the current naira rain of the Bola Tinubu’s era. When Governor Alia’s performance index is compared to the governors of other states, Benue is really lagging behind in many respects.
Indeed, the question is, in the course of one’s academic pursuit, should one only try to perform better than the student whose best grade was “C” or “B” or should one strive for distinctive grade for even a better placement? Remember, performing more than the student with “C” grade can only take one to “B” but not “A”. This is what supporters, no matter how overzealous, must not lose sight of. Support is not all about cheerleading in all circumstances, but finding a moment to state where things are wrong, especially that none of us is infallible.
I think it is time we told Governor Alia that, although he thinks he is doing some things so far, his best is not good enough when compared to other states. There is nothing to show for all the huge funds coming to the state as result of fuel subsidy so far!
I did some research about different states and I am not sure any state is, for example, owing salary or pension arrears owed by past administrations, except Benue. This does not portray the Alia government in good light. Staff of BSU, now Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi (MOAUM), the state judiciary and several institutions and MDAs of government are yet to enjoy the new minimum wage despite the hardship foisted on the people by the present administration.
Indeed, no one who is still collecting the salary rate of the period before 29th May 2023 is living comfortably no matter the amount. For the staff of the university, their salary structure has remained the same since 2009 when a dollar was exchanged at about N100 or slightly above. The economic realities have drastically changed since and we all know. How can people who have been subjected to such excruciating economic torture not look like half-dead men?
Alia indeed promised during the campaigns that he would clear the arrears of salaries and pensions, which all other state governors have since paid, but he has deliberately refused to fulfill this promise to Benue workers and retirees. He also promised to build infrastructure, but in more than two years, he has failed to do so.
No wonder, when President Bola Tinubu visited Benue State, he openly lambasted Governor Alia for poor performance and advised him to consult his counterparts in other states to learn what they are doing to succeed.
Since 30 May 2023, Governor Alia has sealed all Benue State government accounts and he is the only one who operates the accounts and spends from them as it pleases him. Alia has turned state resources into his private wealth and no one dares raise a finger to question his excesses. Despite being in his third year in office, he has yet to commission a single project, while his counterparts in other states are actively developing theirs. None of the 23 local governments in Benue State has constructed even a single toilet.
Benue people are now deeply disappointed in Governor Alia, so much so that even his staunch supporters can no longer defend his abysmal performance.
This is not the first time the corruption under Governor Alia has been exposed. Many civil society groups and whistleblowers have written petitions at different times to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), detailing how Benue’s resources are under siege by a man who came to power wearing a deceptive toga, claiming to be a liberator of the people.
A concerned Benue son, Gemanen Ajio Gyuse wrote and I quote:
“It must be placed on record that Benue State still remains the dirtiest state in the country, stinking not only of its sanitary condition but of poverty and depressive conditions suffered by both the masses and workers alike. I traveled to Abuja about a few weeks ago, and on my way back, immediately when I arrived at North Bank, I perceived a highly odorous stench of poverty and hopelessness, sometimes showing conspicuously on the faces of everyone.
“It became difficult to distinguish between those who were fleeing the war-ravaged zones of Yelewata and Naka from civil servants and entrepreneurs. For just a few weeks of leaving Benue State, and staying in Abuja where people were living like humans, I noticed that everyone in Benue was looking like a prisoner awaiting execution – so hopeless and depressed. Then, the dirty environment could not speak anything different from what was written all over people’s faces. That was when I said my innermost prayer, beseeching God to once again help me to survive in the poverty-ridden land of Benue.
“Since taking a break from Benue and returning to Makurdi, I kept wondering: why is Benue so shamefully poverty-stricken at a time so much Federal allocation is coming to the state and internal revenue also appears to be blooming? I said to myself that something is definitely amiss and no right-thinking Benue son may remain docile in such a condition. I think this is why many people are beginning to ask questions about the transparency and accountability of the present administration.
“Under Governor Alia, no one knows what is coming in and how much is being used, which makes everything blurry.
“In all, those who can take this message quickly to the governor must remind him that the land is no longer what it used to be at the beginning of his administration. There is a state of epiphany and many are beginning to realise how docile they have been all along. The truth is, real yardsticks for measuring good governance include accountability, transparency, responsiveness, consensus-orientatedness etc. Therefore, the Alia-led government must henceforth:
“1. Start showing accountability by being answerable to the public and other stakeholders.
“2. Ensure transparency in such a way that information about decisions and processes is readily available and understandable to the public, enabling them to be monitored.
“3. Start being responsive such that institutions and processes will begin to serve all stakeholders in a timely and appropriate manner, meeting community needs.
“To sum it up, let me emphasise that the governor must not aim only at trying to be better than his predecessor, but to start governing as if no other administration existed before his, for true measurement of his administration at the end of it all will not be based on how well he outperformed his predecessor(s), but how well he served during his tenure. Therefore, whatever he has to do to strike a balance between infrastructural development and human welfare must be urgently done. This includes, payment of salary and pension arrears, award of contract to people within the land or ensuring that the Benue people are part of contracts given to outsiders so that there will be no drastic capital flight, provision of farm inputs and/or subsidisation of same etc.
“Indeed, the land is shamefully hungry in the midst of abundance and it is no longer appealing to many who hitherto were quite optimistic! Let me conclude this with the witty statement from Leo Tolestoy: “If you feel pain, you are alive. If you feel other people’s pain, you are a human being”.
