The All Progressives Congress (APC) 2023 Senatorial Candidate for Benue South and former Chairman, Governing Board of the Projects Development Institute (PRODA), Enugu, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, has expressed his disappointment with the stance of the Benue State APC National Assembly Caucus, on the State Governor, His Excellency the Very Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia. The caucus had presented its resolutions at a press conference it held recently. But in a press statement, Onjeh described the resolution as hasty and vindictive, and the allegations therein against Governor Alia as baseless.

Com. Onjeh reminded the NASS APC caucus that Fr. Alia had barely spent six months in office, and had been running the state on his predecessor’s budget. He also pointed out that the governor, whom economic and financial expedience and propriety had compelled to drive Ortom’s policies to conclusion, has just presented his first (2024) budget to the Benue State House of Assembly, which holds great promise for the development of the state.

“As representatives of the people, it would be honourable on the part of the NASS caucus to question the previous administration’s plunder of the state’s resources without commensurate development, rather than throwing vitriolic remarks at the current administration,” stated Onjeh.

Onjeh added that one of the allegations leveled against Governor Alia in the caucus’s press conference rested on the governor not picking the national legislators’ calls, a matter which he believes, resides in the realm of personal grievance. He added that instead of sulking over inane issues, the legislators should commend Fr. Alia for delivering good governance and democracy dividends to the Benue people thus far.

He drew the attention of the caucus to the fact that in economics, there exists a time lag between policy formulation and implementation. Hence, Onjeh stressed on the need to allow Governor Alia concentrate his laudable programmes. He urged the NASS caucus to focus on the issues that matter, issues such as the backlog of unpaid salaries and pension arrears left by the previous administration of Governor Samuel Ortom, which Governor Alia is now forced to resolve and is currently doing so commendably. He added that it was too early in the day to judge the governor’s performance, and that it would be more productive to give him time to deliver on his promises.

Governor Alia, Onjeh opined, did not unlawfully dissolve LGA councils and sack their elected officials, as the caucus alleged. Rather, the LGA officials were suspended on the strength of the allegations of financial impropriety, misappropriation, and mismanagement leveled against them. And that was done after the due process of passing the allegations through the Benue State House of Assembly, and obtaining the House’s full ascent. Onjeh urged the public to be wary of the information that the governor’s political traducers broadcast, in order not to be misinformed on important matters regarding the state.

Furthermore, Com. Onjeh stated that the Caretaker Committee appointed by Fr. Alia for the state’s LGAs will serve for only a period of six months, after which there will be an election to fill their seats. He urged the caucus to field the candidates of their choice in the forthcoming LGA elections, while reminding them that the governor cannot satisfy everyone at every time.

“We cannot all be satisfied at all times in the political space. If you sought any favour from the governor and he was unable to attend to you, perhaps subsequent opportunities would arise in which you will be accommodated. Besides, the governor is also learning on the political side,” Onjeh stated.

Onjeh further opined that the allegations the caucus leveled against Governor Alia in its press conference were orchestrated, and part of a grand conspiracy to discredit his fledgling administration. He added, “it is unthinkable and unheard of, that members of our party will join an opposition party to attack and discredit the governor, who is an APC member.”

According to Onjeh, despite, the unwholesome attacks on Governor Alia by the federal legislators, the Governor’s Approval Rating continues to soar. “Fr. Alia has lived up to his campaign promises and has so far paid Benue State’s workers their dues and entitlements. Retirees in the state are receiving their pension, and the state’s teeming civil servants are receiving their salaries up to date, as and at when due,” stated Onjeh. He urged the citizens and residents of Benue State to work together to ensure that Governor Alia’s administration (and by implication, the state) succeeds. “No government would like to be berated over nonpayment of workers salaries and pensions. If it is that easy to pay salaries and pensions to Benue State workers and retirees, previous administrations would have done that to gain commendation from the people, but they all failed,” Onjeh stated. He further opined that civil servants were the wheels that drive the government’s progress. “If Fr. Alia is redeeming their sorry situation, he should be commended, not rudely interrupted or unjustly pilloried.”

Onjeh further asserted that the caucus’s allegations against Governor Alia were a distraction, whose greatest beneficiaries were the state’s previous governors who had plundered the state resources at will. He urged everyone to focus on the issues, and work together to ensure the state’s progress.

Onjeh added that rather than launching attacks on Governor Alia, as representatives of the people, the legislators should hold previous administrations to account for Benue State’s money that has been plundered. “This is where our attention and focus should be, so that it can serve as a deterrent to would-be treasury looters.”

Onjeh called on the NASS Benue APC caucus to desist from its unwholesome villainization of their governor, and rather concentrate on their jobs of legislation, oversight, and appropriation at the national level.

Regarding the call by the caucus on President Tinubu to intervene in the matter, Onjeh described it as highly unnecessary. He advised the caucus to repose confidence in the leadership of the SGF, Sen. Dr. George Akume, who had piloted the affairs of the APC in Benue State from its inception, to resolve the issue amicably and expeditiously. “After all, the caucus admitted in its report that it had previously reached out to the SGF on the matter, and the SGF urged them to be patient with Fr. Alia. We must always try to exhaust all available internal mechanisms of resolving disputes before we drag ourselves before Mr. President. The President is obviously preoccupied with a lot of cogent national issues; it would therefore not be nice to drag him into local partisan issues,” stated Onjeh.

In conclusion, Onjeh sued for peace and urged the Benue State APC National Assembly Caucus to sheath its sword and come to the table for a truce, so that the party in Benue State can forge ahead as one big happy family.

“Let us go back to the APC family in Benue and resolve our differences rather than washing our dirty linings in public, because by so doing, we are only embarrassing ourselves.”

“It is obvious the masses are happy with Governor Alia. That’s all that really matters. We marketed Governor Alia to our constituents on the strength of our belief in his competence and capability to deliver on his campaign promises. Thus, until he proves us wrong or otherwise, we owe our people the responsibility of defending to the hilt, the mandate they gave to Fr. Alia.’

Noting that the assertions made by the NASS caucus against Father Alia were grossly misleading, Onjeh said him and other like minds intend to embark on a vigorous media campaign to enlighten the general public on the true situation of things in Benue State.