HON. MATTHEW ABO The Hon.
Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism.
Marking of one hundred days in office has become a culture among appointed and elected office holders across the globe to measure their performance in the first three months in office.
The celebration premiered in the United States at the turn of the twentieth century with president Franklin D.Roosevelt in nineteen thirty three and his intent to tackle "economic meltdown at the time known as " The Great Depression",was unequivocal.
His development blue print tagged "The New Deal" was only appropriate in making a difference in what analysts termed as uncaring policies of his predecessor, Herbert Hoover whose administration was ladden with massive unemployment and imbalances in the market economy in the United States.
Although, there is no constitutional provisions for first one hundred days, particularly in Nigeria, the celebration has become a ritual and determinant factor for success or failure; a public assessment of how good or bad a new president, Governors and their governments have started.
In Benue State, drums are already sounding on high pitch as stakeholders have scored the new government of Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, high for starting well in view his policies and legislations to tame the "great depression" of his time, accentuated by ignoble indices of abject poverty, insecurity, infrastructural and institutional decay, corruption and massive looting of public assets.
Among these imperialistic tendencies are the burden of maladministration, humanitarian crises such as hunger, IDPs, propel by a decade of herdsmen and banditry attacks.
In his inaugural speech on May twenty nine, Governor Hyacinth Iormen Alia, made it abundantly clear that he was to begin the journey from ground zero in view of the rot he met on ground.
The good news is in the assurances the Governor has made to the people that he is more determined to take up the challenge of rebuilding the state and there is no time for excuses because the mandate he willingly accepted from the people is to fix the wrong and return state on the path of economic prosperity.
Accordingly, Governor Alia, began the task on the front foot in the first one hundred days even before his full cabinet was constituted, with impact in key sectors such as health, education agriculture among others all for the development of infrastructure in the state.
These include contract for construction of sixteen township roads and streets in makurdi, Housing estates at Tyo-mu and Adem communities in the state capital as well as launch of the first digitized Vehicle Inspection Service Centre, in Makurdi through a public private partnership.
To promote democratic governance, the Governor inaugurated the tenth Benue State House of Assembly and sworn-in new High Court judges to demonstrate commitment to the doctrine of separation of powers.
Above all these is the administration's engagements with federal government and the United Nations for security of lives and property including care and resettlement of the over two million Internally Displaced Persons IDPs in Benue.
These assurances, pictured in the ongoing reforms, have not only reawakened subconsciousness of citizens but have also united conversations between proponents and doubting Thomases alike on common ground to descern their differences towards achieving a new and prosperous Benue.
In an attempt to nip the systemic corruption in the bud, Reverend Father Alia, on the day of his inauguration, frozen all government accounts to pave the way for forensic audit and tackle endemic revenue leakages which had hitherto deprived the people of good life for almost a decade.
As part of efforts to provide unity of direction in the economic and fiscal policies of new government, the administration, within its first one hundred days, reviewed the two thousand and twenty three appropriation law to give it a facelift to meet the economic realities and keep hope alive.
In his first state broadcast to mark this year's Democracy Day on June twelfth, the Governor reiterated his campaign promise for regular payment of salaries,
pensions and gratuities and on June twenty fifth Benue workers and pensioners started smiling to the Banks for the first time in more than seven months.
Barely one month in office, the Alia administration, among other economic recoveries, announced a monthly saving of over one billion naira which excess had been padded on the pay roll of teachers.
This came to fore at the completion of the first phase of pay roll audit and staff verification which expunged over two thousand ghost workers on the teachers and Local Government workers pay list that was transited to it.
In agriculture, the administration has secured partnership with National Institute for Fresh Water fisheries for establishing of fish farming estates across the twenty three local government Areas, a sector that had suffered neglect in spite of the aquatic resources that abound in the state.
Government has also hosted the first National Agriculture Mechanization and Innovation two thousand and twenty three summit to encourage adoptation of technology in agriculture production and entrepreneurship.
This was in addition to the sale and distribution of sixty thousand bags of assorted inorganic fertiliser to farmers at subsidized rate to boost yield with a promise to step up supply of farm inputs in subsequent cropping seasons.
Governor Hyacinth Alia has also in his first one hundred days in office approved the registration of WAEC and NECO for final year students of government approved secondary schools in the state just as he reviewed upward, allowances of Corps Member Doctors.
In the area of security, the administration deserves kudos for its prompt intervention for the return of peace between Mbaivur and Mbasombo communities in Gwer, Otukpo/Obi communal crisis and the timely calls to end youth restiveness in Sankera axis.
While the law prohibiting open grazing remains in force, government has again wooed back United Nations Humanitarian agencies and other development partners to assist in the care and safe return of IDPs and for the protection of schools and communities at the risk of violent attacks.
Worthy of mention also is the ban on illegal mining, logging and road blocks to safeguard the state natural resources from theft, prevent environmental degredation, protect biodiversity and create enabling business environment for investors.
It is no longer news that the administration has achieved milestone in the recovery of public assets forcefully removed or looted as over forty assorted brands of exotic government vehicles, among other public assets have, so far, been recovered by the Assets Recovery Committees.
It is also on record that Benue state is the first, among other sub-nationals, to pay this year's Medical Residence Training Funds for Residence Doctors of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital and constituted a Taskforce for the prevention and control of spread of Anthrax into the state.
In addition, government has constituted a Visitation Panel to carry out a forensic audit on activities of the university from two thousand and sixteen to date and approved implementation of the harmonized retirement age and years of service for teachers, which are the items at the threshold of reforms in education and health sectors.
This intent for institutional reforms also signaled the return of the good old days of an incentivized, vibrant and functional Civil Service in the state as workers hoped for the recovery of statutory allowances, such as Leave and Housing grants, first twenty eight days among other entitlements which successive administrations may have compromised without cogent reason.
Analysts have, however, observed that the culture of first one hundred days should not be an ideal statistics for public assessment of success or otherwise of a leader or government as such indices do not always translate into enduring legacies due to dynamics of time and changes in personality.
We have also heard on good authorities that it is possible for a leader or government that begins well to end well.
Against this backdrop, we call on all hands to be on deck in support of the people's Governor Reverend Father Hyacinth Iormen Alia, whom the public has adjudged to have started well in the task of rebuilding the state where milk and honey would once again, flow for the benefit of all.
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