By METROWATCH Reporter
The governor of Benue state, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, had praised the federal government over the weekend for including Benue in the recent distribution of palliative and other interventions, as well as for their coordinated efforts to contain the return of insecurity in the state.
After meeting with President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Alia spoke to State House Correspondents and said the gesture had been beneficial, particularly considering the current dire circumstances regarding fulfilling various obligations to the people and addressing the issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) that are common in the state.
“Lots of the support we’re gaining from the federal government. It is our hope that this will continue,” he said, noting that the gesture has also brought relative peace that was, hitherto, absent because of political divisions of the people along party lines in the state.
“That has been a very, very helpful. Insecurity in the past was something of trouble. But, we are pleased to know that so much work has been done and relative peace has returned to the state and I will continue to do the work.”
He said, “he aim being that we want to get all the IDPs back home to their ancestral homes and ancestral farm lands. Before may 29, It was very impossible for the IDPs to get back to their ancestral places, even to farm this current season they were able to go back and do this.
“However, we still have skirmishes of it. All the other security apparatuses are on it and are helping so much. So, it remains our firm hope and resolution that we’ll get them back to their ancestor homes.
“And we cannot thank the federal government enough for assisting us by all ramifications for us to be able to achieve this.
“We have to thank the President for taking care of the federal roads in the state. All the federal roads that cut across the state you know, were awarded and for renovation and I’m happy he took the step in that direction even before I came to plead for further support in that direction.”
However, the governor of Benue state has pledged to enable the uninterrupted payment of their arrears, unpaid salaries, and other miscellaneous entitlements from previous administrations, which may provide some relief to the state’s labour force.
Alia, who bemoaned the N359 billion salary bill that his administration inherited, called it a setback for his state government.
This came as he refuted claims that the state government paid a large ransom to kidnappers in order to secure the release of the commissioner of information, culture, and tourism, Mathew Abo, who had recently been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen in the state.
Abo has since reunited with his family after intense pressure mounted on the abductors by security agencies.
Wile fielding questions, Alia said, “since we came in, I know that Benue State on record has the debts of all over N359 billion naira being pensions and gratuities, salaries and arrears as well as the debts ranging from the poor and then the domestics.
“What we’re trying to do is to see how we can renegotiate these and then to get back on a better perspective and then to forge ahead with the development of this state.”
He assured of his administration’s determination to pay the state workers’ their salaries on the 25th of every month in fulfilment of his pledge on resumption of office.
“For now. We have established the continued payment of salaries each month. If you are a staff of the States or the local government in Benue state, I would have only told you keep watch on your light on the 25th of every month. Your alert must tell you that you have been paid and that has come to stay and that is what we’ve been experiencing in the last four months and we’re serious at it. A laborer deserves his wages. So, you work, you earn your living.
“So, the state is not going to owe anything to anyone. Again, to those who are retiring since this 2023, we’ve already made it a point of duty that once you retire it must not take up to four months before you collect your gratuities and your pension. By doing this, gradually we’re going to revisit the backlog of arrears that exists. In fact we’ve started work on that already.
“So, we’re trying to raise the IGR. So, once it is raised any month, then we have something in there, it goes straight to the arears of pensioners, and then even of salaries.”
Lamenting the debt burden he inherited, Alia said “you’ll be shocked to hear that some in the local governments were owed for up to five years of salaries, five years! And then the least we recorded are People who were owed up to four months. There was a list and this is why the debts comes up to 359 billion naira on my head and on the head of Benue state.”
Dismissing the reports of ransom in exchange for the release of the Commissioner, he said: “I’ve told you what I know. The state government doesn’t pay ransom. We stand by that statement.
“The Commissioner of information was kidnapped. After six days or seven he was released. Thank God the state did not pay any ransom. It was by negotiations. And then we’re going to be quite strong on flushing out the bad elements in the States.”
Alia explained that “The state government tried so much in this case with different security apparatuses to get to work to get into the field to get into the communities and to do a series of dynamics to get this fine gentleman back.
“And that was the exact thing we did. Thank God, you said you heard, so you don’t even know. When you know you have an authority over whatever thing you heard. So, I’ve spoken. This is why authoritatively, I’m relating to you that we were able to get this fine gentleman back home and we even issued a very strong statement.”
The governor warned criminals operating within the state to leave and relocate for good, insisting that they will not be tolerated in any form as the authorities have spread dragnets to track recalcitrant elements in their hiding places.
“If you are a bad egg in the state leave, just leave on your own. Because this is a season for peace and nothing less is being requested by people.”
He added, “Benue state is a very hospitable, hard working place. So, if it cannot contain you as a good, free citizen to work in there and earn a living out of your sweat, then it’s not a place for you.”
