Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has revealed that his administration is considering the closure of some Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps across the state following improvements in the security situation. The Governor made the disclosure during a media interaction with the Renewed Hope Ambassadors Presidential Media Team, led by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Reflecting on his three years in office, Alia noted that he inherited a state without a master development plan, overflowing IDP camps, crumbling primary schools and a health system under severe strain. He stated that salaries have never been missed under his administration, hundreds of primary schools have been revived, displaced farmers are returning home as some IDP camps are closed, and new agro-processing factories are now operational.
The Governor was candid about the challenges of reform, remarking that “reforms bring resistance.” He added that governing a state of about seven million people on a shared federal purse requires careful management of resources, describing the approach as “pinching the pennies.”
