An open letter circulating on social media has called on the Managing Director of the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, to recognise that the institution is a public trust rather than a personal estate, following remarks he made to youths during the 2026 International Youth Day celebration.
The letter, dated August 13, 2026, and signed by Comr. Ben Koko, Director of Benue Elite TV and a concerned indigene of Benue State, described Dr. Asemakaha’s comments as disappointing, arrogant, dismissive and unbecoming of someone holding a public office. While acknowledging that BIPC under his leadership has recorded strides that support the industrialisation agenda of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration, the writer insisted that success in office must never translate into a sense of superiority over the people.
Koko noted that Dr. Asemakaha’s appointment came through a political process involving the APC, politicians, voters and youths who campaigned and mobilised for the current government. He stressed that in a democracy, appointees are custodians rather than owners of public institutions, and that the privilege of office ends if the administration is not returned in 2027. He urged the MD to carry people along, describing politics as the vehicle that brought him into office.
The letter further argued that BIPC is a taxpayer-funded public institution with a mandate that includes job creation, industrial growth and social responsibility to the Benue community. Koko complained that access to the MD’s office has become needlessly difficult, citing his own unanswered official request for an audience as Director of Benue Elite TV. He maintained that social responsibility begins with fair hearing and open doors to the media, youth groups, investors and ordinary citizens.
A major point of criticism centred on what the writer called the “experience paradox.” While BIPC has announced job opportunities, the management is said to insist on ten years’ experience for entry-level and mid-level roles. Koko questioned where Benue youths would acquire such experience if no one offers them a first opportunity, warning that rigid gatekeeping systematically excludes young people from the economy the state claims to be building. He called for the design of apprenticeship, internship and entry-level pathways instead of using experience requirements as a barrier.
The letter also addressed the limits of technocracy without political intelligence, arguing that isolating oneself from the grassroots weakens the very structure that supports the administration. While recognising that BIPC is performing, Koko insisted that performance does not grant a licence for arrogance.
In his concluding remarks, the writer urged Dr. Asemakaha to do his job quietly if he chooses not to engage, but not to speak down on the generation he is employed to serve. He stated that BIPC belongs to the people of Benue, that the MD is a steward, and that Benue youths deserve respect, access and opportunity. Anything less, he said, amounts to a betrayal of the mandate that placed him in office.
