My fellow citizens of Benue State,

Today marks a new beginning in the history of our beloved state as I take office as your governor. I stand before you with a sense of humility and purpose, fully aware of the enormous challenges that lie ahead. But am grateful for the trust you have bestowed and conscious of the sacrifices borne by all of you to make this happen.

I am particularly excited at the promise of Hope which our newly minted administration represents. During the campaigns, we traversed the length and breadth of our State and I personally saw, firsthand, the appalling situation of our people. Town after town and village after village, you waited for hours on end for our campaign train to arrive. That wait was not for Fr Alia or my Deputy Bar Sam Ode, mni. You were waiting for Hope. Renewed Hope. And I want to assure you, Benue: Hope is here!

We are faced with a situation of sustained insecurity, dampened morale from non-payment of salaries, pensions and gratuity, dilapidated infrastructure, a broken economy, an even more broken civil service, massive unemployment and underemployment, endemic corruption, and malaise. The list is long! These are all indicators of a crisis – a deep rooted crisis. And it calls for action – bold and swift. And I assure you, Benue, that as a government, your government, WE WILL ACT! We were unambiguous in our Victory Speech at the polls: that our State, Benue, is broken and needs a reset. The moment is here. And the time is now. A New Benue is Possible! We campaigned on the promise of the Seven Pillars of our Campaign Document: A Strategic Development Plan for a Greater Benue.

1. Our State has been tested by crises that have steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. We therefore promised to prioritize the security of lives and property of our people by ending insecurity occasioned by farmer/herder crisis, returning our Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, to their ancestral homes and providing them a means of livelihood in a new economy.
2. We promised to industrialize our State through agriculture and massive rural development. This cannot be done through government alone and therefore, we will create the conditions that promote private sector-led, Agric driven industrialisation.
3. We promised to celebrate the initiative and enterprise of our people, their insistence on hard work and personal responsibility which are constants in our character. We will achieve this by creating opportunities through a revitalized commerce and industry space.
4. We need to build capabilities of our people for the change we want to lead through human capital and social development.
5. We must build the required infrastructure to support our planned economic growth and care for the environment to mitigate the devastating effects of climate change through the adoption of climate change adaptation technologies.
6. We, like other countries and organizations, must move forward with digital transformations and the skills needed to implement them through investment in information and communications technology, ICT.
7. Finally, we promised to reform our civil service and local government systems, carry out pension reform, education reform and curricula review, review our laws to make them investor-friendly through political and economic governance. My fellow Benue citizens, these seven pillars represent a Social Contract between our Government and your good selves. On these promises, we shall be held to account. You hired us with your votes to deliver on these promises. We will do everything in our power to fulfill our side of the contract.

One of the most pressing issues facing our state today is insecurity. We cannot achieve any meaningful development in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty. As your governor, I am committed to working with security agencies and the Federal Government to ensure the safety of lives and property in our state. We will also work tirelessly to address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion. The state of our economy is another area that requires urgent attention. We can safely say that our State is on economic life support requiring intensive care. We will prioritize job creation and economic empowerment by promoting private sector-led industrialization, with a particular emphasis on agriculture. We will also work to improve the business environment in the state by enacting investor protection laws and streamlining procedures to make it easier to do business in Benue State. We took a cursory overview of the state of our infrastructure and found every facet to be comatose and non-performing due to deliberate gross negligence.

We reviewed the state of water, health, education, sports, electricity, roads, public housing, telecommunications, and commerce infrastructure, amongst others, and found a highly unacceptable level of abandonment and decay. For the avoidance of doubt, no parastatal or extra-ministerial department of the Benue State Government, saddled with responsibility for public scrutiny, accountability and transparency was even minimally funded to deliver basic services. Consequently, public infrastructure has remained in a deplorable state of decay, and we are forced to start at ground zero. In view of this uncanny state of affairs, Government would immediately set in motion, machinery for clearing blocked drainage systems in Makurdi metropolis to address avoidable flooding, pending when a comprehensive solution would be found to the perennial flooding of the state capital. To provide immediate succor to the army of unemployed youth in the state, we shall execute this exercise through a public works scheme or direct labor.

In addition, Government shall within the shortest time acquire a dump site for the evacuation of refuse from the city for an eventual creation of a Waste to Wealth Programme. In the meantime, Government shall engage the Federal Authorities towards the Dredging of River Benue to address the flooding problem in Makurdi. In continuation of our public works programme, we have commenced work on the design of a comprehensive infrastructure development programme involving our unemployed graduate youths, details of which will be unveiled within the next 100 Days. In addition, our industrial parks and technology incubation centers, designed to bring the best out of our youth and provide gainful self-employment would be equally unveiled within the period. To bring succor to the very poor, we have commenced negotiations with credible partners for soft credit facilities to women in all the council wards in the state. This would be a revolving facility based on good repayment records.

In addition, we have commenced discussions for revamping the moribund Benue Microfinance Bank and repositioning it as a vehicle for microcredit delivery in the state. This would domesticate the delivery of microcredit to the poor as a cardinal pursuit of our administration. Our educational system is the bedrock of our future, and we will invest in it accordingly. We will prioritize the training and development of our teachers and provide them with the necessary tools and resources to deliver quality education. We will also work to ensure that our children have access to quality education that reflects the demands of a modern economy, regardless of their socio-economic background. We recognize the crucial role that women, youths, and children play in our society, and we are committed to creating opportunities for them to thrive. We will prioritize their empowerment and inclusion in all aspects of our development agenda.

To all Benue workers, please listen to me: We recognize the plight of our civil servants and pensioners who are owed salaries, pensions, and gratuities. We must strike a healthy balance between caring for the generation that toiled for this State (am talking here about pension and gratuity for our pensioners,) paying our serving employees a living wage and investing in the future of our children through revised curricula that meets the demands of a modern economy. A laborer deserves his wage, so says the Holy Book. We will prioritize and address the issue by ensuring that all verified arrears of salaries, pensions and gratuity, are paid promptly without further delay! We will not do this alone. It is desirable that our Development Partners have a shared vision of our Strategic Development Plan for a Greater Benue. We know that there is no one-best way for development partnerships. It is on a case-by-case basis. This is the reason why engagement early in the game will be paramount. We have already started that engagement process before today and we will continue.

I assure our Donor Community and Development Partners that greater efforts will be invested in monitoring & evaluation activities to ensure that donor funds are appropriately channeled in an auditable manner. We will run an open, accountable, and transparent government. Politically, our State has been disconnected from the Federal Government because of bad politics. We commit to reconnecting Benue State to the proverbial ‘National Grid’ of Nigerian politics in order to harvest the benefits derivable therefrom. We are aware that when executives are hired to disrupt their organizations and change the status quo, they often encounter resistance to their ideas. This tendency to reject change is usually an organization’s “social defense”: an attempt to safeguard the traditions, structures, and cultures that make employees feel comfortable and safe – with most of these structures and cultures rooted in endemic corruption, red tape and malaise that hold us back. These entrenched behaviours and practices can have a negative impact on achieving rapid outcomes.

About 500 years ago, Niccolo Machiavelli made the observation that there was ‘nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct or more uncertain in its success than to take the lead in the introduction of a new order of things’. These words are true today as they were 500 years ago. But leadership has been demonstrated to be a key element of successful organizational reform right from time. I want to say to you Benue, I am ready and willing to provide the requisite leadership to take that leap of faith into a future of shared prosperity for Benue. And I WILL NOT FAIL YOU! We are inheriting an Anti-open grazing Law whose implementation has become controversial. Having gone through some period of implementation, it is fit and proper for us to review the law to identify the lessons learned, hold the gains made, if any, and reform to accommodate current realities.

For our fellow contestants in the other political parties, I want to say to you loud and clear: the period of campaigns is over. It is now time for governance. I am not Governor for APC. I am the Governor of Benue State. I want to extend a hand of fellowship to you all. Please join hands with us so we can build back Benue better than it ever was. To the Investor Community, we are aware that Benue already lost its investment status owing to bad governance. What is also true is that the whole world is waiting to invest in Benue, but they are waiting for the enablers. A clearly articulated investment vision with defined projects pipeline, a supportive legal and regulatory framework and value proposition at individual project level are the basic preconditions for investor attraction. These enablers are what our administration will prioritize. So, to all potential investors, we want to say to you that Benue is open for business.

May I announce that effective immediately and until further notice, all Government Bank Accounts in all Banks are hereby frozen. A ‘Post No Debit’ instruction shall remain in force until all Signatories are changed. Any Bank that violates this instruction does soat its own risk. My fellow citizens of Benue, I make no pretentions to having the magic wand to actualize the many beautiful plans I have for this state. I am not setting out to be a lone-ranger governor – allknowing and all-powerful. I will listen to you and work with you to achieve the Benue of our dream. I am full of hope that a new Benue shall arise from the present morass of stagnation and backwardness and assume her rightful place in the comity of great societies. My hope lies in the imaginative power of our people and their undying spirit. We are a hugely talented people. This land is blessed with people of great minds and ready hands – builders who have built before and can build again. Long before this moment, our sons and daughters applied their hands and talents to building the national edifice. They can do so again. In every walk of life, there have been people from this land who have shone brightly like a million stars and taken humanity to a better place. We are a land of builders and history-makers! So, today, I call on every one of us to commit to building a new Benue – a Benue all of us can feel proud to call home. Inaugural

Let our children and our children’s children, a thousand years from now, recount with pride the brave efforts of this moment. Let it be recorded that we did what needed to be done to secure a happy future for future generations. Now is the time for Benue to make that change of direction. Now is the time for us to combine the creative imagining of our youths with the wisdom of our sages to regain altitude and soar to higher heights. The journey ahead may be steep and hard, but we trust in the living God “who strengthens us in our weaknesses…” May he guide and protect us at each step of the way. God Bless you. God Bless Benue State and may God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Thank you all!

30th May 2023

Governor Hyancinth Alia made his first appointments thus:

1. Secretary to the state government (SSG) Prof. Engr. Joseph Alakali.
2. Chief of Staff (C.o.S). Hon. Paul Biam.
3. Principal private Secretary (P. P. S). Dr. Emmanuel Chenge.
4. Head of Service (H. O. S). Mr Moses Agbogbo Ode.

3rd June 2023

Governor Alia congratulated Sen. George Akume and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila on their appointments as Secretary to the government of the federation and chief of staff respectively.

4th June 2023

Thanksgiving Mass was held in honor of Governor Alia at St. Winifred Parish Ihugh at about 10am.

5th June 2023

The 10th assembly was formed with Aondona Dajo as speaker and Lamin Dan Ladi as Deputy speaker.

6th June 2023

Governor Alia congratulated Aondona Dajo and Lamin Dan Ladi as Speaker and deputy speaker respectively.

6th June 2023

Governor Alia paid unscheduled visits to:

1. SEMA,
2. BIRS, and
3. BIPC

7th June 2023

Governor Alia nullified all appointments into civil service that were made by the past administration dating from May 2022.
He also asked those due for retirement to commence the retirement process.
He also asked all civil servants appointed as permanent secretaries from January 2023 to revert to their previous positions. He also instructed that all postings and transfers made in the civil service from October 2022 be nullified and all should revert to their former ranks.

James Iorpuu was appointed SEMA Executive Secretary.

Governor Alia attended the inauguration of Sen. Akume as SGF.

8th June 2023

Governor Alia attended his first North-Central Governor’s meeting.
Governor Alia joined his North-Central colleagues to pay a congratulatory visit to the SGF.

11th June 2023

Governor Alia inaugurated the Assets recovery committee and BSU fact-finding committee with Hon. Hinga Biem and Hon.Paul Biam as committee chairmen respectively.

14th June 2023

Governor Alia congratulated all the National Assembly members from Benue on their inauguration. He also congratulated Sen. Akpabio and Hon. Abbas for becoming Senate President and House Speaker respectively.

Governor Alia appointed Alexander Faanafa as acting GM Benue Links Nigeria Limited.

23rd June 2023

Governor Alia also appointed Emmanuel T. Agema as acting Chairman BIRS.

26th June 2023

Governor Alia the APC Party chairman Austin Agada at 40.

29th June 2023

Governor Alia was in Lagos State with his Lagos counterpart to host the President to a dinner.

30th June 2023

The Governor on the public, ministries, departments, agencies and parastatals to submit memoranda to the assets recovery committee.

4th July 2023

Fr. Alia the progressive governor’s forum in Abuja.

5th July 2023

The Governor tours some offices within the state.

6th July 2023

Fr. Alia condemned the killings in Ukum.

10th July 2023

Alia congratulates Tinubu on his emergence as ECOWAS Chairman.

1st August 2023

Governor Alia was in the NYSC Orientation camp Wannune for the passing out parade and closing of the camp for Batch B stream 1.

7th August 2023

The Governor flagged off the construction of 17 streets within Makurdi metropolis.

8th August 2023

Benue state house of assembly made known the commissioner nominees list submitted by Fr. Alia.

24th August 2023

Alia swore in New commissioners and special advisers at the new Banquet hall government house Makurdi by 10am.

26th August 2023

Alia congratulated Dr. Tyover A Dajoh on his appointment as acting Rector Federal polytechnic Wannune.

5th September 2023

Governor Alia Marked 100 days in office and promised to work more for Benue people.

15th September 2023

Alia assured Benue people of more Federal govt attention on the highways in the state.

16th September 2023

The Governor promised granting the state judiciary financial autonomy.

18th September 2023

Fr. Alia resurrects bond between BSU medical students and Benue state govt.

18th September 2023

Rev Fr Alia played host to international fund for agricultural development program (IFAD), Value chain development programme (VCDP) delegations.

21st September 2023

Fr Alia celebrated Nigeria’s First Lady at 63.

21st September 2023

The Governor celebrated International Day of peace and promised to restore peace in every troubled area in Benue.

23rd September 2023

Fr. Alia dedicated his victory at the tribunal to God and the good people of Benue state.

25th September 2023

Alia condemned the kidnap of commissioner Abo and Elder Erukaa.

27th September 2023

Alia Felicitate with the Muslims over the celebration of ID-EL MAULUD.

1st October 2023

The Governor gave a speech over the 63rd independent anniversary in Nigeria and preached peace and unity.

Governor Alia appealed to NLC, TUC to reconsider their action, and sued for peace. Says salary payment not an achievement but a necessity of life.

2nd October 2023

Governor Alia made massive appointments of SAs, PAs and Heads of ministries.

3rd October 2023

Fr Alia inspects facilities earmarked an upcoming ICT training program.

Governor Alia frowned at encroachment on govt land and blockages on drainage channels.

5th October 2023

Governor Alia hails Commissioner Abo for regaining his freedom.

Rev Fr Alia declared a state of emergency on infrastructure and approved the demolition of illegal structures.

9th October 2023

Alia held a meeting with the Tor-Tiv and the Och’Idoma.

10th October 2023

Governor Alia held an expanded exco meeting at the APC state Secretariat and was represented by his chief of staff.

11th October 2023

Hon. Rita Shamiga was made one day acting Governor on International Day for girl child.

Alia condemned reforms in local government areas in Benue state. Entrust security of communities in the hands of traditional rulers.

14th October 2023

Operation Whirlstroke gave their contacts for passing security-related information as thus: 07087871515, 09153401043, and 08060332239.

Governor Alia condoles the Bishop and the Christian faithful of Katsina-Ala Diocese over the death of Fr. Gundu.

17th October 2023

Alia released portfolios to PAs and appointed more.
Alia approved the appointment of Dr Hwande as Chief Medical Director BSU Teaching Hospital.

18th October 2023

Condemned attacks on Ayilamo and Mbachohon communities by bandits.

20th October 2023

Governor Alia condemned attacks on some commercial banks in Otukpo.

21st October 2023

Alia played host to United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).

26th October 2023

Fr Alia congratulates Tinubu, Shettima over victory at the Supreme Court.

28th October 2023

Governor Alia appointed Raymond Asemakaha jnr as MD Benue Investment and Property Company Limited (BIPC).

31st October 2023

Alia solicits Army collaboration on insecurity in Benue.

1st November 2023

Fr. Alia appointed the Local Government Service Commission with James Ivever as Chairman.

2nd November 2023

Alia congratulates Sen. Udende over appeal court victory.

Alia beats down transportation within Benue state.

3rd November 2023

Alia commissions Upper Area Court in Otukpo.

5th November 2023

Commencement of the construction of Captain Dawn’s road in Gboko by Alia.

7th November 2023

Alia celebrates Ode his deputy @55.

12th November 2023

Alia congratulates Hope Uzodinma over re-election as Imo state Governor.

16th November 2023

Alia escapes unhurt as Ugondo Youths in Makurdi haul objects on his convoy.

17th November 2023

Alia appoints Auditor General Mr Aboh Emmanuel Tile.

20th November 2023

Alia wins at appeal court Abuja.

29th November 2023

Alia approved list of caretaker committees (LGA) in Benue state.

30th November 2023

Alia hands over 100 buses to Benue Links transport company.

1st December 2023

Rev Fr Alia felicitates Reginal Akume at 68.

Fr Alia dismantles illegal checkpoints in Benue state.

6th December 2023

Fr. Commenced renovation of the assembly complex.

Fr Alia began installation of street lights within Makurdi metropolis.

7th December 2023

Flag off of construction of 17 and more streets within Makurdi metropolis

8th December 2023

Governor Alia appoints Prof Gabriel Akpen- General Bureau of special projects & infrastructure. Mrs. Pat Goja – Manager Novus Microfinance Bank. Engr. Terese Ninga -DG Buraeu of agricultural development. Some more appointments.

11th December 2023

Fr Alia registers WAEC/NECO for all candidates of government schools.
Governor Alia wins Governor of the year’s award.

13th December 2023

Benue pensioners conducted solidarity show for Governor Alia.

14th December 2023

Benue government demanded a retraction, apology, and 5 billion naira compensation from New Telegraph newspaper over defamatory statement made against the governor.

16th December 2023

Fr Alia inaugurates a 250kv power solar system and a psycho-social rehabilitation centre at BSUTH.

18th December 2023

Alia released a list of interim Local Government Executives in the 23 Local Government in Benue state to the public.

19th December 2023

Fr Alia flagged off the distribution of palliatives.

21st December 2023

Fr Alia payed BIPC staff(s) 7 months salary areas 13 months bonus and 4 months allowances.

22nd December 2023

Alia’s CPS condemned Benue National Assembly Caucus outing on National Television over the Governor.

25th December 2023

Fr Alia congratulates Christians on the occasion of the celebration of Christmas.

27th December 2023

Alia celebrates Senator Akume at 70.

Alia expressed sadness over death of Akeredolu and Na’abba.

31st December 2023

Fr Alia grants pardon to 12 inmates.

1st January, 2024

Governor Alia signed 2024 budget of about 225.7 Billion naira only.

25th January 2024

Fr. Alia joined the Minister for works, Engr Dave Umahi to flagg-off the Makurdi-Enugu road at Apir in Makurdi.

27th January 2024

Fr Alia received the Police recruitment team as they paid him a courtesy call at the Benue state government house Makurdi. The team was lead by ACP Dominic Iornumbe.

30th January 2024

Governor Alia received an award of honor from St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary.

30th January 2024

Fr Alia held a reconciliation meeting at the Benue state government house in Makurdi with the APC National Deputy Secretary in attendance to reconcile aggrieved party members.

6th February 2024

Governor Alia joined Vice President Shettima to commission the state-of-the-art fighter aircraft in Makurdi at the NAF Base.

6th February 2024

Fr Alia inspects the progress of work at High-level Makurdi flyover construction.

7th February 2024

Fr Alia called on continuous support for the Benue APC as Benjamin Omakolo becomes Acting State Chairman.

8th February 2024

Fr Alia attends the requiem mass of his late uncle, HRH Chief Abu King Shuluwa Tor Sankera 1, at the Catholic Youth Center Makurdi.

9th February 2024

Fr. Alia paid last respect to Very Rev Fr Godwin Udaa as he was laid to rest at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Cathedral Makurdi.

10th February 2024

His Excellency attended the burial of HRH Chief Abu King Shuluwa Tor Sankera 1 at Katsina-Ala LGA, Benue state.

11th February 2024

Governor Alia was hosted by the Benue people living in Kano for an interactive session to discuss their experiences and challenges.

12th February 2024

The Governor accompanied the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Her Excellency Sen. Oluremi Tinubu to the occasion of the commissioning ceremony of the Senator Oluremi Tinubu School of Law Building at the Maryam Abacha American University of Nigeria Kano state.

13th February 2024

Fr Alia attended the inauguration of a steering committee to coordinate the implementation PULAKU initiative.

13th February 2024

Governor Alia met with the Benue Born Nigerian Professional footballer, Moses Simon who came back from the just concluded AFCON and congratulated him and the entire Super eagles squard and chatted a way forward on establishing a football academy in Makurdi.

16th February 2024

Rev Fr Alia visited the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ikechukwu Ogalla and requested for the establishment of a Nigerian Navy Type”A” Operational Base in Makurdi, Benue state.

17th February 2024

The Governor attended a Thanksgiving mass to mark the 60th birthday celebration and 36th priestly ordination anniversary and book launch to honor the remarkable milestone of Rev Fr Dr Simeon Iber, Rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Major Seminary, Makurdi.

23rd February 2024

Fr Alia joined other patriotic Nigerians to attend the funeral of Governor Oluwarotimi Odunayo Akeredolu, CON, SAN who died on the 27th December 2023.

27th February 2024

Fr Alia welcomes members of the Nigerian Navy’s 4-man committee to Makurdi, who came on the directive of the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Emmanuel I Ogalla, to conduct an on-the-spot assessment to identify a suitable site for the establishment of a Naval Base in Benue state. Read more

29th February 2024

Governor Alia inaugurated two key judicial commissions for inquiry. 1. judicial commission of inquiry into the income and expenditure of Benue state government from May 29, 2015, to May 28, 2023. 2. Judicial commission of inquiry into the sale/lease of government assets, companies and markets (both state and local government-owned markets) as well as moribund companies from 28th May 2015 to  28th May 2023.