SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, REV. FR. DR. HYACINTH IORMEM ALIA, THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF BENUE STATE, ON THE OCCASION OF THE 63RD ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OF NIGERIA’S INDEPENDENCE, HELD AT THE OLD BANQUET HALL, GOVERNMENT HOUSE, MAKURDI, ON SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1ST, 2023

My esteemed people of Benue State, 

2. I am excited to address you on this important occasion of Nigeria's 63rd Independence Anniversary Celebration. Conscious that today’s address is my first on an Independence Day as your Governor, I speak to millions of Benue people, who believed in me, propelled and stood by me in the HOPE to deliver good governance. 

3. This Independence Anniversary is a moment for us to salute our heroes past. It took valour, sacrifice and cohesive nationalistic onslaught for them to actualise our country’s political freedom. 

4. It is most importantly, an opportunity for us to thank the Almighty God for preserving us amidst several storms, some of which at some point within the last 63 years, threatened our very own existence as a country. 

5. While we reflect in retrospect, it is equally pertinent for us to examine where we are, and look to the brighter future that lies ahead of us, especially in a State like ours that possesses all the potentials of peaking us in the comity of states. 

6. For instance, the agricultural sector in Benue is a sleeping giant only waiting to be jolted and unleashed to boost food security and enhance job creation. It is in view of this that barely few weeks after coming on board, my administration procured 100 trucks of fertilizer for distribution to farmers at subsidized rates. This, coupled with several ongoing agricultural reforms under my watch, I confidently envision a Benue that would efficiently feed itself and the country in its entirety, and as well, export its array of agricultural produce. 

7. My fellow Benue citizens, the dawn of RENEWED HOPE in our State which I champion is not just a mere rhetoric; we are already translating it into reality. This is partly evident in my administration’s award of contracts and mobilisation of contractors to site, for the construction of 16 strategic roads within Makurdi metropolis. It is also our resolve to extend this to all major roads linking the 23 Local Government Areas of the state. This is aimed at easing movement of people, goods and services. Meanwhile, water supply and sanitation facilities are also receiving attention in major towns across the state. 

8. I wish to emphasize that, the era of padding contract figures is over. Accountability and transparency in the award and execution of these projects are sacrosanct. It is on this note that I restate my commitment towards sparing no effort in changing the ugly narrative that we met when I took the oath of office as your Governor. 

9. Similarly, my administration has begun a tour and on-the-spot assessment of all the state-owned industries, almost all of which are moribund. The revival of these industries including the Taraku Oil Mills, the Wannune Tomatoes Processing Factory, amongst others, through the instrumentality of Public Private Partnership (PPP), is our top priority. There is no gainsaying the tremendous socioeconomic impact which the renaissance of these industries would have on the citizenry and the state in general. 

10. More so, the ongoing ICT training of 10,000 Benue youths by our Government in collaboration with Google and Microsoft, is no mere ritual; it is a calculated move to create job opportunities for the teeming youths, and to enable them function optimally in the digital world, so as to progressively become self-reliant. 

11. In a similar vein, the training has also captured a group of Benue youths who recently got stranded in the Federal Capital Territory – Abuja, where they had trekked all the way from Benue State, in the hope to meet with their role models and idols. I therefore, use this opportunity to deemphasize the new wave of marathon trekking by our youths. We truly understand that the trend is borne out of lack of job opportunities occasioned by the previous administration. I therefore, urge them to desist from such venture and avail themselves for the ongoing ICT training which is tailored towards massive job creation. 

12. We have also initiated a Continuous Capacity Development Scheme for all civil servants in the state. The aim is to enhance productivity and optimal performance. 

13. May I also inform you that, in the bid to boost entrepreneurship and alleviate poverty in the state, our administration has established an Entrepreneurship and Wealth Creation Bureau. 

14. As we re-engineer and implement policies aimed at making Benue the envy of other states, we recognize the importance of a well-educated populace as a panacea to most of the challenges we face. It is in this light that, as part of long term palliatives for the removal of fuel subsidy, we have decided to pay for this year’s examination fees of all students in government approved public secondary schools in the state sitting for the West African Examination Council (WAEC) and National Examination Council (NECO) examinations respectively. This would also serve as a stimulant in creating a literate and proficient society which ensures that citizens are availed with opportunities for life-long achievements. 

15. Taking into cognizance the fact that, a healthy nation is a wealthy nation, the administration decided to invest heavily in the health sector. For instance, we were the first in Nigeria to implement the Revised Medical Residency Training Fund (MRTF) 2023, for resident doctors at the revised rate. We did not stop there; we went further to reintroduce the Medical Bond Scheme for medical students of the School of Health Sciences, Benue State University, Makurdi, by approving monthly stipends of N103,000 per student. In addition, we approved the payment of N100,000 monthly allowances for each Doctor-Corps member serving in Benue State. We also increased the monthly allowances of all other corps members posted to the state. 

16. We are also taking great strides towards repositioning the education sector, right from primary to tertiary level. To this end, we have set up visitation panels in all the state-owned tertiary institutions to assess and ascertain their status for necessary action. 

17. Furthermore, our administration has initiated and completed the remodeling of the Benue State House of Assembly Clinic to ensure delivery of adequate healthcare services to both members and staff. Meanwhile, we have also conducted an on-the-spot assessment of facilities at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, for possible refashioning. 

18. We have also taken proactive steps towards preventing the spread of the Anthrax Virus. Accordingly, animals have been vaccinated in all the 23 Local Government Areas of the state. Meanwhile, bio-security measures have been emplaced to avert any untoward development.

19. Our good people of Benue, I share the pains most of you are going through; and I assure you that your resilience and patience would not be in vain as this administration continues to reposition, as well as strengthen our institutions for good governance. I want to assure you that succour is on the way. 

20. In the meantime, we have purchased 100 buses to be handed over soon to Benue Links, the state-owned transport company, to provide affordable transportation to the public. 

21. Also, any moment from now, we will begin the distribution of rice to indigent households across the state, as immediate food palliatives for the removal of fuel subsidy. In addition, plans are underway to distribute N50,000 each, to market women across the state, to enhance their petty trade businesses. 

22. Our lofty visions, policies and strategies for good governance cannot be achieved in a society bereft of security of lives and property. In view, we are assiduously working with all the mainstream security agencies/formations, as well as quasi-security outfits in the state, and all relevant stakeholders within and beyond, particularly those from adjoining states including Nasarawa, Taraba, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Kogi, towards ensuring lasting peace, security and safety of lives and property. No society thrives in the face of wanton killings, kidnapping, banditry, communal conflicts, and so forth. 

23. I wish to identify with the family of our Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Hon. Matthew Aboh, and other kidnap victims in the state. Already, we are working tirelessly to ensure their safe release as soon as possible. It is also our determination to emplace adequate machinery to prevent reoccurrence of such heinous incidents. 

24. On the menace of communal clashes in some parts of the state, I assure you all, that a master plan for peace in our dear state is in the pipeline, and in no distant time, we shall activate the process to address the ugly trend. 

25. I want to reiterate that criminals/bandits have no place in the new Benue which we are building. We are going to fish them out and purge the state of all criminal elements. We will not allow miscreants to discourage or derail us. 

26. I wish to state clearly that my administration will not employ the dark art of propaganda and political blackmail in delivering good leadership; our achievements would speak for us. We are open to innovative ideas and constructive criticisms. Corruption and nepotism are already being relegated to the backdrop. We are poised to foisting the flags of merit, equity, equality, justice and fairness in all our dealings. This is the only way we can realise the Benue of our dreams. 

27. While my administration does not consider its regular payment of pensions, gratuity, and public workers’ salaries as an achievement, we are more determined, to sustain that practice. This is only possible with your cooperation and support to our strategies towards attracting investments/tourists to the state. One of such strategies is our administration’s resolve to give tax relief to investors in the state. This is to enhance the ease of doing business in Benue State, a move which has short, mid and long term benefits to our economy. 

28. We have already begun the process of revolutionising our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) architecture to create systemic efficiencies, expand tax net, combat fraud, and block leakages. Also, we are in the process of reactivating the Benue State Microfinance Bank, whose license was previously withdrawn by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). 

29. In view of the looming industrial action by organised labour across the country, I passionately appeal to the leadership of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), to reconsider their plans by exercising little more patience, as Government is working round the clock to meet their demands, despite the harsh economic realities. 

30. My fellow good people of Benue, it is time to ramp up productivity, inclusive economic development, and equitable distribution of dividends of democracy. 

31. As we mark this anniversary of liberty, I call on all Benue people irrespective of political, ethnic and religious inclinations, to commit to the beauty of a diverse society, and cling to the values of honesty, hard-work, transparency, accountability, harmony, and meritocracy. Through this, with the help of the Almighty God, we shall build a viable Benue for ourselves and future generations. 

32. Long live Benue State. Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria.