ALIA, THE LIAR, THE TYRANT, THE MACHIAVELLI
By Vincent Tyona
“The previous government was receiving a mere N3 billion a month as federal allocation, but the Alia government is receiving a minimum of N15 billion monthly”.
Those were the words of the Executive Director of Housing, Finance and Accounts, Federal Housing Authority, Dr Matthias Byuan during his 50th birthday celebration at Agidi in Konshisha local government area yesterday.
Byuan only echoed what some Benue people already know but those who are blindly clapping for Governor Hyacinth Alia are not aware of. The Governor has so much money at his disposal but no one knows what he is doing with the funds. He only boasts about paying salaries and pensions as if that is an achievement. He has embarked on white elephant projects called underpasses in Makurdi and Gboko which started since July 2023 but there is no sign of the projects being completed after two years. He is now using the underpasses as a 2027 campaign banner.
The Tyrant
As a catholic priest, many people thought that Hyacinth Alia will lead with the fear of God and sow the seed of peace, love and unity among Benue people when he came to power on May 29, 2023 as Governor of the North Central State. Despite the glaring fact that he had no record of development in all the churches where he served as a parish priest, and despite the truth that he was notorious for fighting bishops and his other superiors, Benue voters were made to believe that the man would change for the better.
However, as soon as Alia took the oath of office, the fangs of the deadly tyrant in him came out!
But even before the election, the ominous signs that Alia would be a despot were there but the people only didn’t see. His supporters composed songs and insulted his political opponents to which he danced with relish.
During the campaigns, Alia praised Senator George Akume to high levels, but as soon as he was sworn in, the SGF Senator Akume became his enemy number one! He now lies effortlessly and incites people against Akume and others who helped him to get power.
Governor Alia has declared war on every Benue person who holds an alternative opinion regarding his despotic style of leadership. He goes to the streets and incites thugs against perceived opponents. The desperate Governor has thrown many of his critics into detention with severe torture.
Alia has threatened to cut the finger of anyone who opposes his government.
Governor Alia has on many occasions accused Benue people of being their owns killers and cattle rustlers.
Sadly the Benue ‘strongman’ has failed to show his strength where it is most needed. Insecurity is at its highest height in the state. No day passes without reports of attacks, kidnappings and other crimes. Fulani herders are on the rampage. Women and children have been taken away from their families. Many are still missing.
He lies like a professional crook. He lies effortlessly.
Governor Alia has failed to keep the many promises that he made to the people before he was elected.
This is the man who is now leading Benue State. Nepotism is reigning supreme in Alia’s government. He has given all key government appointments to his kinsmen in Mbadede and has snubbed other parts of the state.
Alia is a man on a mission to destroy whatever is left of the bonds of unity among the people of Benue State.
The Question of Resource Utilization:
Given this unprecedented influx of resources, we must ask: where are these funds going? The absence of visible improvements in infrastructure, healthcare, education, and social services under Governor Alia is alarming. Our communities continue to face the same, if not worsening, challenges that have long hindered our development. The lack of substantial projects or programmes funded by these allocations is unacceptable.
We recall vividly that during the campaigns, Alia promised to clear the arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuities within his first 100 days in office. He also promised to return the internally displaced people to their ancestral homelands within the first 100 days of his administration. He has failed to deliver on any of those promises but he expects the people to be clapping for him.
Governor Alia is running a one man government anchored on zero transparency and accountability. He awards contracts unilaterally and does not recourse to either the State Executive Council or the State House of Assembly. All the few roads and other countable projects he has done, there was no due process and no bidding was advertised.
The man who is governing Benue State now is a very corrupt, incompetent, heartless and nepotistic person. Little wonder that the church suspended this man more than once. Even as a priest, Alia’s fake healing masses in the 90s and early 2000s too failed to heal anyone because they were all arranged to deceive and dupe the poor unsuspecting people.
