Some members of the National Assembly in the All Progressives Congress have described Governor of Benue State, Father Hyacinth Alia as a “dictator who is running the state government like his personal business.”
The lawmakers called on President Bola Tinubu to quickly prevail on the governor before he runs the state aground.
The assertion was made by the lawmakers during a one-day retreat organised in National Assembly on Thursday, noting that the governor’s tendencies could cost the party a defeat in subsequent elections in the state, if he is not called to order.
Leader of the Caucus and Senator representing Benue North West, Senator Titus Zam, “We the undersigned are members of the National Assembly Caucus elected on the All Progressives Congress (APC) platform from Benue State. Having watched with apprehension the absence of democratic leadership in Benue State in the last six (6) months exemplified by the arrogant and egocentric conduct of Governor Hyacinth 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”, the text of press statement after the retreat, reads.
“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; George Akume, who is Secretary to the Government of the Federation has pleaded for patience from us in the anticipation of a possible change of attitude from Governor Hyacinth Alia.
“Governor Alia has become more emboldened and has continued to treat us and the party in general in the most disgusting, disrespectful and disingenuous manner.
“Fr. Alia only came to reap where he did not sow. In any case, you are well aware of the rejection his candidacy received from older members of the party including litigations in several courts of Law up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria, it took the strident support of George Akume to extricate his candidacy from the destructive grip of his co-aspirants and eventual victory at the polls.
“In appointing his commissioners, His Excellency again exercised a 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 3 candidates each for the position of Caretaker Chairman, Deputy and Secretary as well Supervisory Councilors across the twenty three local government demanding for two slots of supervisory councillors from each of the local governments, this was first time a governor will demand such from the caretaker council formation against the usual one slot per local government.
“But surprisingly, when the nominations were finally announced the party was amazed that ninety percent 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.
The Member representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, Philip Agbese, also accused the Governor of nepotism, saying he appointed over 30 key political officers from his immediate clan in Vandeikya LGA, whereas, the Idoma speaking people from Benue South were grossly shortchanged in the scheme of things.
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