Friday, June 13, 2025 - The Benue State National Assembly Caucus has denied the allegation levelled against it by Governor Hyacinth Alia that members of the caucus are sponsoring attacks in the state.
Governor Alia, while speaking on national television, had
alleged that “…some politicians who are very functional, and are in the
National Assembly, and are in Abuja, are the architects and arrowheads of not
just instigating but harbouring and keeping these people; keeping them in the
bushes and taking care of all their bills and buying all the gadgets for them.”
In a statement issued on Thursday at the National Assembly,
the caucus, speaking through the senator representing Benue South Senatorial
District and Senate Minority Leader, Comrade Abba Patrick Abba, denied the
allegation by the governor, describing it as baseless, reckless and
irresponsible.
The statement, titled Alia’s Many Lies, reads in full:
“The Benue State Caucus of the National Assembly saw with
consternation Governor Alia’s umbrage on the National Assembly members from
Benue State on the security challenges confronting the state.
“Ordinarily, we had dismissed the rantings of the Governor
as true to the character of a failed Governor. In the past, Governor Alia had
characterized Benue National Assembly members as “bokoti” people which
literally translates to “useless people,” when the National Assembly members
raised serious concerns about the incapacity of the governor to frontally
confront insecurity in Benue State that has rendered several Benue indigenes
dead, injured many, destroyed properties worth billions of naira, disabled the
people from farming and engaging in productive businesses.
“When Senators Emmanuel Udende and Abba Moro raised motions
on the insecurity in Benue State, Governor Alia asserted that they were
misleading the Senate and Nigerians on the security situation in Benue State.
Similarly, the governor has blatantly refused to implement the Open Grazing
Prohibition Law enacted by the Benue State House of Assembly, even when the
Senate resolution to a bill sponsored by Senator Titus Zam directed him to
implement the Open Grazing Prohibition Law of Benue State.
“Unfortunately, in a church service in Ikpayongo, Benue
State, earlier this year, Governor Alia stated that there had been no killings
in Benue State since he assumed office as governor in May 2023.
“When some citizens were killed in Bonta, in Konshisha LGA,
and Ukpute in Oju LGA, Governor Alia characterized the happenings as “mere
skirmishes.” Yet Governor Alia, in one of his irresponsible outings on national
television, uncharitably accused members of the National Assembly from Benue
State as sponsors and masterminds of the killings in Benue State.
“Never in the history of Benue State has a governor been
known to speak from both sides of his mouth on issues, especially those that
concern the lives and property of the people. In one breath, Governor Alia
would allege that attacks against Benue communities are about land grabbing by
the invaders; in another breath, the Governor would defend the attackers as
foreigners protected by ECOWAS protocols to traverse ECOWAS member nations
freely.
“Members of the Caucus of the National Assembly from Benue
State, therefore, unequivocally and without any fear of contradiction, deny the
allegation that they are sponsoring Fulani militia to attack and kill their
people.
“Collectively and/or individually, members of the National
Assembly have contributed immensely to the solution of the current situation
and challenges bedevilling Benue State. No week passes by that members are not
in their constituencies to bury and/or commiserate with their constituents who
have lost their lives or loved ones, while the governor continues to stay in
the comfort of Government House, Makurdi, until recently a whimper of
condemnation of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes.
“The governor has not sufficiently demonstrated empathy for
people killed allegedly by armed herdsmen. In some instances, as in the
incident in Otukpo, the governor would rather condemn youths protesting the
killing of their kith and kin than those responsible for the killing and
sustained attacks on the armless and defenceless citizens of Benue State.
“In a characteristic demonstration of irresponsibility and
show of lack of understanding of governance, and for the first time in the
history of Nigeria, a governor in the full glare of a national television would
accuse his people of killing their own people. What a sad and pathetic show of
politics taken too far. What a shame that a governor would call his own members
of the National Assembly from his state as “members of Shenanigans,” whatever
that means.
“In other states with similar experiences like Borno and
Plateau States, governors would acknowledge the plight of their people and
appeal to the Federal Government for intervention — but not in Alia’s Benue
State, apparently buttressing the allegations that Governor Alia was
compromised in the run-up to the 2023 election.
“In consequence of the above, the Caucus of the National
Assembly demands as follows:
“That the Governor should retract his words and apologize
publicly to members of the Benue Caucus of the National Assembly.
“That the Inspector General of Police should, as a matter of
urgency, investigate members of the Caucus of the National Assembly and report
to the Benue and Nigerian people.
“Urge the governor, as a matter of urgency, to settle down
for real governance, stop the blame games, and also stop moving with non-state
actors to intimidate political opponents.”
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