Alia: The Controversial Priest Who Governs Benue
By: JAMES ONUKE
Since after being sworn in as governor of the North Central state of Benue in 2023, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia has courted controversy. It has been from making one controversial statement to implementing outrightly controversial policies.
At the height of massacre of Christians in the agrarian state, Fr Alia declared there was no Christian genocide in the state. Observers believed he wanted to sound politically correct. The federal government of Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been engaged in a singsong of no targeting of Christians by terrorists and bandits in the country after President Donald Trump labelled Nigeria a country of particular concern. The administration came up with the narrative that people of different faiths were also been killed and that the number of casualties has often depended on which faith dominates the state where the killings occurred.
The cries of people like Rev Ezekiel Dachomo were ignored. Dachomo had had to conduct several funerals for members of his church killed by the terrorists.
As a political leader, the tenets of the cassocks should have prevented Gov Alia not to hide the truth. But he did.
The killings are still ongoing in Benue and the reverend governor is still maintaining his stand.
His predecessor Mr. Samuel Ortom has no good record to give of Alia.
According to Ortom, Gov Alia is governing Benue State with hypocrisy. ‘He (Alia) doesn’t respect the rule of law’, Ortom told Arise TV recently.
Ortom added that Alia is governing the state according to his whims and caprices as he doesn’t defer to any leader in the state.
Gov Alia on Monday September 7 added more fuel to ignite a fresh controversy in the state.
On that fateful day, the Catholic priest officially opened an office for the Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady of Benue State. Alia isn’t married but Benue State must have an office of the first lady.
A netizen wrote: “Let us be clear: the office of the First Lady does not exist in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. It is an extra-constitutional creation.
“The Governor himself is unmarried. One is therefore compelled to ask, with both seriousness and clarity: on what constitutional, moral, or practical basis is such an office being established and officially opened with the full authority of the state?
“The person occupying this role is a married woman, Her Excellency Hon. Scholastica Ben-Sor. The title “Her Excellency” appears on her official Facebook page. The elevation is deliberate and public. It is not an informal courtesy; it is presented as an official designation.”
Alia’s action is similar to Gov Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State. Gov Umo came to power with his wife. He later lost his wife to death. Instead of governing without a first lady or remarrying to have a first lady, he appointed a coordinator, his daughter into the office of the first lady.
Alia has indulged in other controversial acts. Two days ago, people described as thugs prevented Mr. Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) from visiting the families of the 270 people who d!ed in Benue State.
Governor Alia stated that he was unaware of the visit. One must then ask, with equal seriousness: if a sitting Governor can claim ignorance of a high-profile visit concerning a major loss of l!ves in his own state, is he also unaware that the office he has just opened has no place in our Constitution?
Gov Alia should minimize these controversies as reports indicate that governance in Benue State is nothing to write home about. Lives have become too cheap under Alia. Benue known as the food basket of the country is fast losing that hallowed status as farmers no longer go to their farms due to insecurity.
Blood is daily flowing in Benue State. Even as a priest, Alia’s duty includes protecting the lives of his flock. This duty is much more needful as a governor of a state.
