Gov. Alia To PDP: Media Stunts Don’t Solve Security Issues

The Governor Hyacinth Alia-led administration of Benue State on Sunday, October, 15, 2023, declared that it would not toe the same line of media propaganda that the immediate past Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)-led government employed with regards to the precious lives of the good people of Benue.

A statement by Sir Tersso Kula, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Alia, said that in spite of the well-known nature of the PDP in playing politics with the lives of the people of the state, the present APC-led administration is focused on addressing the security situation headlong and decisively.

Kula noted that it was even more bizarre that the PDP in Benue state could call on Governor Alia to embrace the same tactics of always crying in the media with no positive outcome.

Sir Kula further said; “The people trusted the Governor with their votes, and he will not betray that trust. Let the PDP not use the lives of the people of the state as its only political selling point, except if there is anything they know about these attacks that the government doesn’t know of.

“The security of lives involves everybody and this is why Governor Alia is always drumming it like a slogan, “If you see something, you say something.”

“We were all in the state during the period PDP held sway as the ruling party in Benue. The consistent media outings of the erstwhile Governor Ortom were more of political gimmicks. Was the state safer during that time than it is now? His cries in the media produced no results, until he exited office,” he said.

The Chief Press Secretary who stated these while reacting to claims by the PDP that Governor Alia has a policy of keeping silent over the activities of terrorists in the state, and as such, aiding and abetting such crimes, stressed that it should be known and understood that addressing the security challenges and ridding the state of criminal elements remains a key focus that the present State government has taken so seriously.

The statement explained that even though Governor Alia was out of the state when the unfortunate incident on the Makurdi-Naka road happened, he immediately directed one of his Advisers, Chief Joseph Har, who promptly visited the Benue Links Limited headquarters to commiserate with the management and to get details of the incident.

According to Kula; “The General Manager of the Company, Mr. Alexander Fanafa, acknowledged that one person was killed during the attack, while others sustained injuries, but disclosed further that the pictures in circulation were old pictures of a past incident and not those of that particular attack.

“The Adviser thereafter proceeded to the scene of the attack where he had firsthand information from soldiers deployed in that axis, and who responded to the distress call. The soldiers are personnel of 72 Special Battalion Makurdi.

Chief Har also visited the palace of HRH Daniel Abomtse, to pay homage and to also extend the Governor’s sincere sympathy and condemnation of the act. All these were done immediately the Governor got wind of the attack.

“Governor Alia must not always come out to organize press conferences and cry on cameras before the PDP will accept that he is making efforts. You don’t talk or cry over security issues as was the case in the past 8 years.

“A responsive leader acts proactively. This is what Governor Hyacinth Alia is busy doing at the moment.

“Just on Tuesday, October 10th, 2023, Exercise Enduring Peace III, which is a joint security exercise aimed at addressing the various security challenges facing Benue State and by extension, the entire nation, was launched in Tyodugh, a community in Makurdi Local government area of the State.

“Governor Alia, during the flag off ceremony of the exercise, called on Benue people to support the government and the security agencies with useful information that will aid in rooting out criminal elements disturbing the peace of the state.

“The Governor had expressed confidence that with the flag off of the exercise and the other joint efforts of other security agencies, the criminals operating in the state will be flushed out.

“There was no word of commendation from the Benue PDP about this great security step by the government, the same way the party kept quiet when the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Hon. Mathew Aboh, got released from his captives, given the efforts of the state government and security agencies.

“It is now obvious that the Benue PDP’s new strategy is to feast on bad news and misfortune involving the people of the state. But the party needs to be reminded that the call made by the Governor for people to support the federal government and the security agencies with useful information about criminal elements disturbing the peace of the state, was not for a particular party or group. It is for all Benue sons and daughters, irrespective of their political differences,” he said.