By Mson Fachir
On the 5th of October, 2024, Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State supervised the worst ever local government elections in the history of the state. No election officials and electoral materials were seen anywhere in the state. The Alia-controlled Benue State Independent Electoral Commission, (BSIEC) did not even recruit ad hoc staff and did not mobilize for the election.
After Alia announced his handpicked candidates as “winners of the election”, he came out in the regalia of a catholic priest and beat his chest in the fashion of a proud expert conman who had just succeeded in deceiving a multitude of people. Despite the public outrage, Alia declared that the local government election was free, fair and credible! He told anyone who is not satisfied with the result of the election to go to court. Really?
Alia is a good example of the phrase “A wolf in sheep’s clothing”. The Bible warns us to beware of false prophets, who come to us in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Benue are in for the worst era in the history of the state with Alia in charge. The wolf that disguised his identity sneaked to the Government House to hoodwink the public and destroy the commonwealth of the state.
It beats my imagination how this man that has obviously planned out to be a One Term Governor, could think more of himself, leaving the plight of the masses that sacrificed everything they had to make him the governor. Alia doesn’t grant access to those who can objectively advise him.
The 2024 local government election has further exposed Governor Alia as a man on a very selfish and dangerous mission to destroy what is left of the image of Benue State. He is far worse than those who are accused of being career politicians. In his case, Alia is not only dishonest and unscrupulous but is also vicious. There is nothing like equity in his vocabulary. He is nepotistic as can be seen in the appointments he has made since becoming governor.
Alia has abandoned Benue people to die in abject poverty. He also abandoned indigenous contractors and has awarded the road contracts in the state to the company owned by former governor of Kaduna El Rufai who bankrolled his election last year.
The first personal investment Alia made just a day after he was sworn in was to bring a property developer to build his personal estate known as Lia de Villa.
Less than 5 months in office, Alia bought a house in Guzape, Abuja, worth over N500 million and many houses he is still buying in Makurdi, Kigali, New York, London and other cities for his numerous women and children. He also bought a car for himself worth 500 million.
The man better known as Ohitty is already planning with another investor to build a 5 star hotel in Kigali, Rwanda where he visited last year. Rwanda is Africa’s hottest tourist destination now, so owning a hotel in that country is a huge investment.
In just a few months in office, Alia forced the Executive Council to increase his approval limit from N50 million to N250 million naira. This was a grand plan to steal Benue’s money. He now has no reason to depend on the state Exco for approvals.
Benue entered ‘one chance’. This man called Alia will show the people shegye banza.
I have now come to truly appreciate the enormity of the awful stories that were told concerning the man Hyacinth Alia. Indeed, he is a conman who was only hiding under priestly garments to deceive the people with fake promises like his fake healing masses.
