Benue NASS Caucus Can’t Blackmail Gov Alia — Hon. Achuwa

The caretaker chairman of Konshisha local government area of Benue State, Hon. Phillips Achuwa, has described the allegations levelled against the Benue State governor, Rev. Fr. Haycinth Iormem Alia, by the National Assembly caucus of the APC from Benue State as “tissues of lies, deliberate and wilful misinformation; unprovoked attacks, disingenuous and breathtaking cynicism”.

Hon. Achuwa pointed out in a press statement that the presentation and entire concept of the outing by the lawmakers was “deplorable, pedestrian, lacking in substance, shameful and completely betrays the facts about the leadership and acceptability of the Governor of Benue state, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, his covenant with people of the state and the people’s overall approval ratings of the Governor barely six months in the saddle.”

According to him, “those conversant with the Benue situation that protracted since Nigeria’s return to democratic rule in 1999, particularly the 8 tragic years of baffling inefficiency, misappropriation, corruption, squalor, pain and wilful stagnation of development by the previous administration in the state; know that this Governor has shown courage to take the state out of the woods.”

He expressed worry that lawmakers on the platform of the APC in Benue State will be oblivious of purposeful leadership of the state’s governor and resorted to blackmail and unfounded allegations .

“It is strange and suspicious that any sound mind will attempt to cast aspersions or blackmail the current administration and to surreptitiously return an already cruising state to the crude, comatose rogue and dark days of the past.

“The people of Benue have seen the light, their hopes are rekindled by the pace of development and cannot be deceived.

“The giant strides in the areas of infrastructure, security, job creation, prudence, competence, accountability and ultimately the dividends of democracy for all as against the usual privileged few are there for all to see.

“As stakeholders in the Benue project, as people who traversed the length and breadth of this state during campaigns and as people manning the third tier of the Government and , I want to make it abundantly clear without fear or favour that the people have seen a prosperous beginning, therefore they are even more energized and confident that Benue state of today is not only promising but have taken the first winning steps and will certainly end up victorious.

“This governor has shown his ability to navigate through difficult selfless terrains to ensure the welfare and wellbeing of the people is significantly improved positively and this should be commended and not vilification that has no place at the table of wisdom.

“Consultative-leadership and well-thought out policies and programmes that speaks to the yearnings and aspirations of the Benue people who became disgruntled and abandoned by the previous government must not be thwarted and I call on well meaning Benue people to resist this group of transactional and political merchants who sees everything from personal gains and aggrandizement.

“I challenge this National Assembly caucus to accept to attend town hall debates on all the verge and self-serving allegations where the people of Benue state will be the judge. They should be ashamed of themselves over their shocking self-indictment that the Governor does not extend welfare to them.This in simple terms points to their anger that warranted the outburst.

“The audacity to invite our well respected President, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu to call a Governor who apparently, is not favourably disposed to allow them milk the state at the expense of the people was a terrible venture and most be resisted by the Benue people at all levels in the most strongest terms.

“We support Governor Alia to be more courageous in standing to protect the Benue masses, the meagre resources of Benue and investments against the tendencies of these hawks.

“As stakeholders of the Benue project, we know for a fact that the Alia Movement contributed in no small measure to the victory of the APC in Benue and it is preposterous that this political light paper weights appear to be oblivious of this fact. This is the hight of ungratefulness and outright mischief carried by even some of them who are known serial election losers that eventually climbed on the Alia network that cult across political, religious and ethnic divides to victory.

“We won’t allow people blackmailing the state Governor into allowing them milk the state is most disgraceful and unacceptable.

“As stakeholders of the Benue project we expect the National Assembly members to present their scorecard to the people of Benue state. As lawmakers working on the 2024 budget it is our expectation that Benue will enjoy federal presence, the dredging of the River Benue is one of such, now that the Water Resources minister hails from Benue state.

“The matters of phone calls are not within my purview, as much as they are trivial;but the constitution of caretaker committee chairmen for the 23 local Government Areas in Benue state followed due process as nominations were made by the party stakeholders and I can say so because I was nominated by the stakeholders.

“National Assembly lawmakers should concentrate on their duties and allow the Benue state Governor to do his job, there allegations of not allowing them nominate commissioners is also terrible and to drag the Governor into the exclusive business of the state House of Assembly to elect there presiding and principal officers is a show of ignorance by the senator Zam group.

“It is important to state at this juncture that the APC in Benue state is united , the party is delivering the dividends of democracy and the people are happy with the leadership of His Excellency, Rev.Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, the Executive Governor of Benue state and we condemn in its entirety the bogus lies and misrepresentations of some National Assembly members whose interests is first self-serving and to the detriment of majority of the good people of Benue state.”