Benue State Governor, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia has declared that the recent outbursts by the former commissioner for Education, Prof. Ityavyar and his principal, Samuel Ortom, are clearly pre-emptive moves to stir public sympathy ahead of potential accountability measures arising from the forensic audit initiated by the present administration in the state.
This was as Governor Alia vowed that he will not be deterred from delivering good dividends of democracy for the people of the state, no matter the deliberate and calculated distractions, especially by those who in the recent past plundered the state with reckless abandon.
Alia, who stated these while responding to the comments by Prof. Ityavyar, who re-echoed former Governor Ortom’s remarks, challenged the duo to dare compare “their eight years in office to the two years” he has spent so far, and let the people judge, stressing that the two former public officers are even morally bankrupt to criticize his administration.
Speaking at a press briefing addressed by Sir Tersoo Kula, his Chief Press Secretary at the Government House, Makurdi Governor Alia noted that the duo ring hollow and reek of selective memory and self-cleansing hypocrisy.
The Governor particularly expressed surprise that unfounded criticisms, and unwarranted attacks on government were coming from those whose tenure was marked by unprecedented abuse of process, starvation of due diligence and institutionalization of monumental corruption.
Kula specifically accused the former commissioner of attempting to discredit the remarkable achievements being made in the state’s educational sector.
He further said; “It is unfortunate that someone who presided over unimaginable rot in the education sector for eight years would now have the audacity to criticize a government that is focused on fixing the mess he left behind”.
The spokesperson to the Benue State Governor, noted that under the Alia’s leadership, the educational system has experienced significant stability and reforms.
In the words of Kula; “The achievements of the Governor Alia-led Administration, include the establishment of the Benue State University of Science and Technology, Ihugh, which has been granted the needed approvals, fully licenced and funded with construction already underway, and principal officers already appointed.
“The Alia administration has also resolved some long-standing industrial crisis involving university lecturers by paying 38 months arrears of earned allowances for both academic and non-academic staff.
“This feat is yet to be achieved by most universities across the country. This has boosted morale across the tertiary education system in the state.
“Over 9,700 qualified teachers were recruited to revamp and add energy to the state’s basic education, while 16 government colleges and secondary schools are currently undergoing full-scale rehabilitation
“Already, 225 primary schools are also being renovated or completely reconstructed with many featuring multi-storey classroom buildings, a first to happen in the state.
“Other achievements include; the establishment of a Bureau for Quality Assurance, which has already identified over 4,000 substandard schools for closure or upgrade, Creation of an Engineering Faculty at the Moses Orshio Adasu University to expand access to technical education, Launch of a student insurance scheme in partnership with NICON Insurance for all learners in the state, Payment of bursary allowances of no less than ₦200,000 each to 181 law students across Nigerian law schools as well as full government sponsorship of WAEC, NECO, and NABTEB final year registration fees for over 18,000 students in public secondary schools,” he said.
Kula therefore challenged critics to show evidence of similar progress during their tenure, particularly Prof. Ityavyar, who he accused of overseeing the collapse of the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Makurdi, as well as being linked to unaddressed scholarship fraud and illegal student levies.
Kula further said; “Forensic audits initiated by Governor Alia has unearthed financial irregularities, and investigations are ongoing. This government will not be blackmailed into silence. Governor Alia is focused, and his eyes are on the ball.
“Criticism is welcome, but it must be constructive, not wicked or rooted in sanctimonious grandstanding,” he stated.
While acknowledging that Governor Alia may not have commissioned every completed project, Kula maintained that delivery and impact were more important than ceremonial tape-cutting.
He reaffirmed the Alia administration’s commitment to transparency, accountability, and delivery of quality governance across all sectors.
