Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has highlighted a series of infrastructure, water, education, health and industrial projects executed by his administration in the Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency during his statewide Town Hall Meeting and Thank You tour. The governor said the engagements brought together traditional rulers, religious leaders, political and community leaders, government officials and other stakeholders, offering an opportunity to account for his administration’s stewardship. He described the projects listed as only a summary of achievements and ongoing interventions across the three local government areas.
Among the projects Alia mentioned was the rehabilitation and construction of the 31.36-kilometre Igumale-Agila Road in Ado Local Government Area. He also listed the construction of major box culverts and drainage structures at Ogbudu, River Egila, River Enuwe, River Etem, Ofufulo and Okpa, as well as a triple-cell culvert across River Umabe at Ai-Chebe Ogblega, Eke, Okpokwu. In the water sector, the governor said his administration had provided solar-powered motorised boreholes at different locations in the three LGAs, alongside rooftop rainwater harvesting systems in Otukpa, Owukpa and Orokam communities of Ogbadibo. He further highlighted the construction and rehabilitation of classroom blocks in several primary schools across the constituency and the revitalisation of primary healthcare centres in communities including Agila, Udebo-Ojenyo and Ekile in Ado; Ukporo, Odoba, Olachagbaha and Eke-Akpa in Ogbadibo; as well as Otobi-Amejo, Okpoga and Ikomuja in Okpokwu.
On industrialisation, Alia said efforts were ongoing to revive the long-abandoned Igumale Cement Factory in Ado, with technical experts already having assessed the facility. He also listed the revival of Taraku Mills, the establishment of the Food Basket Brewery and the development of a fruit juice and concentrate factory among his administration’s industrial initiatives, noting that the investments were designed to create jobs, provide markets for farmers and strengthen the state’s agricultural value chain. He urged residents to embrace extensive farming, saying the industries being established would provide ready markets for agricultural produce. On security, the governor pledged continued collaboration with the Federal Government and security agencies to protect communities, farms and livelihoods, while commending President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for supporting efforts to strengthen the security architecture in Benue.
However, the Benue State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has dismissed Governor Alia’s statewide Thank You tour as an exercise in political deception, self-glorification and a “celebration of failure.” In a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Bright Yima Antyo, the opposition party said the state needed a detailed account of the funds that had accrued to the Alia administration rather than another round of political rallies. The PDP alleged that the administration had received more than N1 trillion in federal allocations, internally generated revenue, loans and foreign grants since assuming office in May 2023, while also demanding an account of more than N1.2 trillion it claimed had accrued to the government. It argued that despite the funds, several communities across the state were still grappling with poor roads, deteriorating healthcare facilities, abandoned projects, unemployment and insecurity.
Questioning the rationale behind the Thank You tour, the opposition party asked whether the governor was thanking farmers who could no longer access their farmlands, internally displaced persons living in camps or unemployed youths. The PDP maintained that development should be visible and measurable through completed roads, functional healthcare centres, improved schools, secured communities and support for businesses. It further accused the Alia administration of relying heavily on publicity, radio jingles, billboards and promises rather than tangible achievements. The party consequently demanded a transparent account of funds received by the state between May 29, 2023 and August 2026, challenging the governor to disclose how much had accrued to the state and local governments, the projects completed, the cost of each project and their impact on residents. “Rather than turning the APC thank-you tour into a travelling carnival of political praise-singing, Governor Alia should have used the opportunity to render a comprehensive account of his stewardship,” the PDP said. The party also urged Benue residents to continue demanding accountability through peaceful, lawful and democratic means, insisting that citizens had the constitutional right to scrutinise public expenditure and demand transparency from elected officials.
