General News
Speech By His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, The Eexecutive Governor of Benue State, On the Occasion of Benue @ 50, on Wednesday, 3rd February, 2026, at Government House, Makurdi
My dear people of Benue State,
Today marks a very significant milestone, 50 years of Benue state’s existence. 50 years of persistence. 50 years of resilience.
But today is more than a celebration.
Today is a moment of reflection, renewal, and resolve.
Fifty years ago, Benue State was born with hope in its heart and promise in its soil. Our founding fathers envisioned a land that would feed the nation, nurture unity, and raise generations of resilient, proud, and progressive people. That dream is what we celebrate today.
Benue at 50 is not just about how far we have come it is about where we are going and how determined we are to get there.
I stand before you with humility, with gratitude, and with an unshakable belief in the strength of the Benue spirit, especially grateful that God gave me this opportunity to be your governor at this time of our state’s history. it’s a privilege I don’t take likely.
Recognising Our Past leaders
Let me at this juncture appreciate everyone who worked hard for the creation of this state. I salute in a special way the late J S Tarkar, and the United Middle Belt Congress (UMBC)/Action Group (AC) Alliance led by Obafemi Awolowo. I won’t leave behind the likes of Wantaregh Paul Unongu, Hon. Ugba Uye, Chief Isaac Shaahu and a host of others who worked tirelessly to see to this feat.
I must say a huge thank you to the General Murtala Muhammed led administration that carved out our state, from the then Benue-Plateau, and named it after our river which is the second largest in the country. This marked a historic point in our existence presenting us an amazing opportunity to bring governance closer to the people.
Let me therefore use this opportunity to salute in a special way every past Governor of Benue- Military or Civilian,living or dead, for their various roles in contributing to the development of our dear state.
- Maj. General Abdullahi Shelleng(March 1976-July 1978)
2.Group Captain Adebayo Lawal (July 1978-Oct 1979)
3.HE, Gov. Aper Aku (Oct 1979-Dec. 1983)
4.Brigadier General John Atom Kpera (Jan. 1984-Aug. 1985)
5.Air Commodore Jonah David Jang (Aug. 1985-Aug. 1986)
6.Col. Yohanna Madaki (Aug. 1986-Sept. 1986)
7.Col. Ishaya Bakut (Sept. 1986- Nov. 1987) - Col. Idris Garba (Nov 1987- Dec.1987)
- Lt. Col. Fidelis Makka (Dec. 1987-Jan. 1992)
- HE, Rev. Fr. Moses Adasu Orshio (Jan 1992-Nov. 1993)
- Group Catain Joshua O. Obademi 9Dec. 1993-Aug. 1996)
- Col. Aminu Isa Kontagora (Aug. 1996- Aug. 1998)
- Col. Domnic Oneya (Aug. 1998-May 1999)
- HE, Sen George Akume (May 1999-May 2007)
15.HE, Sen. Gabriel Suswam (May 2007-May 2015) - HE, Gov. Samuel Ortorm (May 2015-May 2023)
I cannot forget the contributions of; Chief Ason Bur, Prince Dr Ogiri Ajene, Chief Steven Lawani and Engineer Benson Abounu, who stood solidly behind these leaders to bring development to Benue.
May I also specially appreciate all past and present illustrious sons and daughters of Benue origin, whom at any point in the past 50years, held or are still holding various leadership positions, for their unflinching service to the Benue cause.
I also cannot thank enough, all our unsung heroes, whether alive or not, both in the hinterlands and our urban centres, for their silent sacrifices that have culminated into the Benue we have today. it is my sincere prayer that God’s blessings will not depart from your households.
Reflecting on Our Journey
Our journey has not been without trials. We have faced economic pressures, insecurity, natural and man-made challenges, and moments that tested our unity and patience. There were times when our people felt unheard, when confidence wavered, and when the future seemed uncertain.
But through all of this, if Benue has taught Nigeria anything, it is that, WE BEND, BUT WE DONOT BREAK.
Through hardship, our farmers worked their fields.
Through pain, our workers stayed committed.
Through uncertainty, our youths continued to dream.
And through it all, Benue endured.
A Promise of Responsible Leadership
Leadership is not about perfection. Leadership is about responsibility, courage, and action.
From the very first day I took the oath of office, I made a solemn commitment to serve Benue with sincerity, discipline, and a clear sense of direction. I promised to place people over politics, progress over excuses, and the future over the comfort of the present.
Today, I reaffirm that commitment.
Rebuilding the Economy
We recognized early that no state can thrive without a productive economy.
That is why our administration prioritized:
- Revitalizing agriculture as a business, not just a tradition
- Supporting farmers with access to inputs, extension services, and market linkages
- Encouraging agro-processing and value addition to reduce waste and increase income
- Strengthening internally generated revenue through reforms, not hardship on citizens
Gradually but steadily, Benue is reclaiming its place as Nigeria’s food and agro-industrial hub, while laying the foundation for a diversified economy that can withstand future shocks.
Strengthening Healthcare
A healthy people are a productive people.
In the health sector, our focus has been clear:
- Rehabilitating and equipping primary healthcare centres across our local governments
- Improving maternal and child healthcare services
- Expanding access to essential drugs
- Supporting health workers through training and better working conditions
We chose to invest in healthcare not as an expense, but as a moral duty to protect life and dignity. This can be seen clearly in the repositioning of our teaching hospital with modern day facilities and the capacity to provide essential services to one and all. This also applies to the Cancer centre and the Pharmacy, when completed.
Investing in Education
Education remains the strongest weapon against poverty and insecurity.
Our administration has taken deliberate steps to:
- Build and Rehabilitate our basic schools with modern day structures and learning facilities
- Improve teacher welfare including their numerical strength and capacity development with the engagement of over 9,700 teachers.
- Promote access to basic and secondary education
- Support technical and vocational training for our youths and future generations which gave rise to our new university at Ihugh.
We are raising a generation not just to seek jobs, but to create solutions.
Workers’ Welfare and Human Dignity
No government can succeed if its workers are neglected.
Despite economic constraints, we have worked to:
- Improve regularity and transparency in salary payments
- Address outstanding entitlements within available resources
- Restore dignity and trust in public service
Our workers are partners in progress, and their welfare remains a priority.
Security and Peace
Security is the foundation of development; bearing in mind, We have strengthened collaboration with:
- Federal security agencies; I will continue to partner with service chiefs and other security apparatuses for further collaborations to make our state safer.
- Community leaders and traditional institutions
- Local security and peace-building initiatives
While challenges remain, we are committed to ensuring that:
- Farmers return safely to their farms and ancestral homes.
- Communities live without fear
- Benue remains a land of peace, justice, and coexistence
Peace is not optional. It is essential.
Infrastructure and Connectivity
Development must be seen, felt, and used.
Across the state, we have continued to invest in:
- Road construction and rehabilitation of over 400 KMs across the state
- Rural access roads to open up farming communities
- Public buildings and essential infrastructure
- Urban renewal to improve the quality of life.
Infrastructure is how government touches the daily lives of the people and we remain focused on delivering value that lasts.
Digital Infrastructure and Digital Governance
As we prepare Benue for the future, we understand that development in the 21st century must be digital-driven.
That is why our administration has made strategic investments in:
- Expanding digital infrastructure and ICT capacity across government institutions
- Introducing digital tools to improve efficiency, transparency, and service delivery
- Strengthening e-governance systems to reduce bureaucracy and enhance accountability
- Promoting digital literacy and cyber connectivity to open our youths to global opportunities
This shift toward digital governance is not just about technology it is about modernizing governance, fighting inefficiency, and bringing government closer to the people.
Benue is steadily positioning itself to participate competitively in the digital economy.
To the youths of Benue:
You are not a footnote in our history you are the headline of our future.
We are expanding opportunities, supporting innovation, and opening doors for participation in governance and the economy. Your energy, creativity, and courage will drive the next 50 years of Benue’s greatness.
As we celebrate 50 years today, we must also look forward with clarity and determination.
The next chapter of Benue will be defined by:
- Stronger institutions
- A resilient economy
- Peaceful and secure communities
- Educated and empowered citizens
- Leadership that listens, learns, and acts
I ask for your trust not blind trust, but earned trust.
Trust built on transparency, accountability, and shared responsibility, as I lay the solid foundation for the next 50 years and justifying this opportunity God has given me at this time of our state’s history.
I pledge our government’s continued relentlessness in ensuring that we do not only create the atmosphere for growth and development, but to continue to be the engineers of peace, stability, accountability and transparency that will ensure a guaranteed better future for our state in the next 50 years.
My dear Benue people,
Benue at 50 is not an end it is a new beginning.
As I stated earlier, this day only marks the beginning of the celebration. it is our plan and intent to celebrate this golden jubilee in a big and special way, throughout the year, involving all the leaders and citizens of the state across partisan divides. There are lots of
activities that have been ear marked for this all important celebration, which will be unveiled as time progresses.
Together, we will reposition Benue.
Together, we will rebuild confidence.
Together, we will secure a future our children will be proud of.
May the labour of our heroes past continue to guide us.
May unity remain our strength.
And may God bless Benue State and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Long live our strides and aspirations. Long live our vision as a people. Long live Benue state.
Thank you, and happy 50th anniversary, Benue State.
Benue South residents, LG chairman raise alarm over rising abductions in Otukpo
By Felix Umande, Makurdi
A kidnap victim has alleged that armed herdsmen have set up a criminal hideout they call “Sambisa Forest” in Otukpo Local Government Area, Benue State, where abducted persons are held and ransom negotiations take place.
Mr. Akubobi Fabian made the allegation after regaining freedom following six days in captivity. He was abducted around 9 p.m. along the Ojano Road axis while returning home after purchasing goods.
Recounting the attack, Fabian said gunmen intercepted his vehicle near Ochobo Bridge, opened fire, burst a tyre, and forced passengers into the bush.
“We initially thought they were ordinary armed robbers who wanted to collect money, but they marched us deep into the forest,” he said. He added that he and other victims trekked through the night before arriving at the camp, where they were held under harsh conditions.
Fabian said the kidnappers demanded N10 million for his release, while others were asked to pay up to N20 million. He was released after his brother raised N1 million.
“They asked me to bring N10 million. Some people were asked to pay N20 million. My brother eventually raised N1 million, and after six days they released me,” he explained.
He alleged the captors repeatedly called the location “Sambisa Forest,” a name linked to the insurgent enclave in northeastern Nigeria. “The kidnappers told us they call the place Sambisa Forest. That is what they called the forest where they kept us,” Fabian stated.
The victim further claimed the camp is located behind the Idoma Doctors Association building in Otukpo and that the gunmen identified themselves as Fulani herdsmen operating freely in the area. He confirmed one person was killed during the attack after gunmen opened fire at a checkpoint.
The allegations have heightened fears over insecurity in Benue South, particularly along the Otukpo-Ojano corridor where residents have repeatedly complained of kidnappings and violent attacks.
A recent attack in Ojano also saw a man shot by gunmen. He was rushed to hospital but later died and was deposited in a mortuary.
Otukpo LGA Chairman Hon. Maxwell Ogiri confirmed the allegations in a telephone interview with Press Icon Newspaper. He said security agencies are already profiling the area and promised decisive action through collaborative efforts.
“I got to know about the place labeled as Sambisa Forest in the area when the kidnapping activities became much, as victims who were rescued after payment of ransom kept narrating stories,” Ogiri said.
He urged the Benue State and Federal Governments to intensify efforts against banditry and kidnapping in Otukpo so residents can live free from constant fear.
By Son Tertsea, Abuja
President Bola Tinubu’s Government has joined the group of African countries in repatriating their nationals from South Africa following the surge in xenophobic attacks on foreigners.
The government yesterday took the bold decision aimed at bringing home the about 4,000 Nigerian nationals believed to be residing there.
Already, countries like Ghana and Mozambique have taken home some of their citizens from danger in the former apartheid nation, now tagged the Rainbow Nation, that is fast turning into a xenophobic enclave.
Kimiebi Ebienfa, spokesman for the Federal ministry of foreign affairs, told the press that the Nigerian High Commission to South Africa had begun the screening of those to be evacuated from yesterday. According to him, the details of the evacuation flight will be published after the screening.
In his words: “We are projecting an estimate of two to four thousand.”
As the attacks become more severe, many foreignrrs now reportedly flee their homes, spending nights in the mountains and bushes.
There are reports spreading that anti-migrant groups in South Africa are firmly warning undocumented foreigners to leave the country by June 30 at the latest or face dire consequences.
Sources add that the anti-migrant mobs are reportedly chasing down foreign nationals “like dogs” and asking them to leave.
As anti foreigners’ campaign gets worse by the day, South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa, was yesterday reportedly telling President Ruto of Kenya about his plan to embark on a global damage control mission.
But it remains to be seen what the hatred against neighbours would amount to.
With the wave of attacks on fellow Africans pitching South Africa against other Africans, it is raising theories of Washington, Israel and the West being behind what some sources allege to be a well-calculated agenda to reclaim the nation from indigenous South Africans:
“Xenophobia in South Africa is not a random street problem. According to analysts and Pan-African voices who have been watching this game for years, it is an engineered crisis. Properly planned. Properly funded. And some of the white elite class inside South Africa already know the script — because they helped write it,” a source said.
By Felix Umande, Makurdi
The Presidency has announced significant progress toward establishing state police in Nigeria, with a constitutional amendment expected “shortly” after months of consultations among the Executive, National Assembly, and security authorities.
Chief of Staff to the President, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents after a consultative meeting on state policing convened by the Presidency at the State House, Abuja.
Gbajabiamila said deliberations began three to four months ago on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive, and the process has now “gained considerable traction.” He stressed that creating state police requires careful handling of constitutional and legal issues and cannot be done hastily.
“We started deliberations in the last three or four months on how to go about the establishment of state police as directed by Mr President. Establishing state police is not something that you do with the snap of the fingers. There is a lot involved in terms of constitution and legalities, and thank God we have now gained a lot of traction,” he said.
“Hopefully, the amendment will come shortly, and the details of the amendment will come after that.”
According to the Chief of Staff, discussions have advanced to drafting the necessary constitutional amendments, with enabling legislation to follow.
“Right now, what we are looking at is the constitutional amendment itself, and then the enabling law would follow thereafter. That is what we have been deliberating on in the last couple of hours,” Gbajabiamila added.
He noted that national debate has shifted from whether state police should exist to how the appropriate legal and institutional framework will operate. President Tinubu, a long-time advocate of decentralised policing, will receive a comprehensive report on the meeting’s outcome.
The Presidency said state police is being pursued as a necessary response to Nigeria’s evolving security challenges. A decentralised structure, it argued, would strengthen grassroots security, improve local intelligence gathering, and boost sub-national capacity to address emerging threats.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, Deputy Speaker of the House Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Prince Lateef Fagbemi, Inspector-General of Police Tunji Disu, and other senior officials.
The consultative session is part of ongoing federal government engagements aimed at developing a workable framework for state police to enhance internal security and protection of lives and property across the country.
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