Alia To Aspirants: No Automatic Tickets, Prepare For Primaries

Benue State governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has insisted that there would be no automatic tickets for All Progressives Congress (APC) aspirants ahead of the party’s primaries.

Recall that, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume, had recently during reconciliation and peace meeting held in Makurdi to end the prolonged crisis within the APC Benue State chapter called for automatic tickets for serving members of the national and state assemblies, the plea Governor Alia opposed.

Meanwhile, Alia maintained that all aspirants would compete on a level playing field in line with directives from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress.       Governor Alia stated this during the burial ceremony of Mama Sarah Aliegba, mother of the Commissioner representing Benue State at the Federal Character Commission, Eugene Aliegba, in Naka, headquarters of Gwer-West local government area.

Addressing mourners, and stakeholders of the community, the governor acknowledged the consistent support of the Tyoshin people for his administration and urged sustained cooperation to drive development.

The governor assured residents of Gwer-West local government area that the rehabilitation of the Makurdi–Naka road would receive priority attention, describing the route as vital to economic and social activities in the area.

He further revealed that the long-standing water scarcity challenge in Naka had been addressed through the ongoing reticulation of a 500,000-litre-per-day water treatment plant commissioned earlier this year.

Alia described the facility as one of the most transformative public utility interventions in the area in over four decades.

He said similar water projects were underway in other parts of the state, including Makurdi and Katsina-Ala, as part of broader efforts to expand access to potable water.

Governor Alia explained that the Naka water facility, delivered in partnership with the European Union and humanitarian organisations, was expected to serve about 35,000 residents daily, including internally displaced persons and host communities.

He noted that before the intervention, residents faced severe water shortages, relying on contaminated sources, especially during the dry season, while flooding in the rainy season often worsened public health risks.

The governor observed that women and children were affected, spending long hours sourcing water, but said the new facility has significantly eased the burden.

Earlier, the chairman of Gwer-West LGA, Victor Ormin, commended governor Alia’s  support for the area and appealed for urgent intervention on the Makurdi–Naka road, which they said has remained in poor condition for over 20 years.