Join our WhatsApp channel HERE for the latest Benue news and updates!
In a colorful and deafening display of support, no fewer than 4,000 young men and women drawn from across Benue State on Saturday trooped out in their thousands to declare unflinching loyalty to Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia for what they described as “life-changing skills-acquisition and empowerment initiatives.”
Organized under the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Organisation and Illegal Levies, the beneficiaries, clad in custom white T-shirts bearing the governor’s portrait, marched through major streets of Makurdi chanting solidarity songs and waving banners that read “Thank You Rev Fr Alia,” “You Gave Us Hope Again,” and “More Power to Your Elbow.”
Many of the participants were graduates of various vocational programmes ranging from fashion design, catering, ICT, welding, carpentry, and solar energy installation to barbing and hairdressing, all fully sponsored by the state government since Governor Alia assumed office in 2023.
Speaking through their leaders, the youths said the empowerment packages, which include starter packs, cash grants, and in some cases shop rentals, have restored dignity and pulled many families out of poverty. “Before now, we were just roaming the streets with certificates and no jobs,” one beneficiary, Martha Iorhemba, told journalists. “Today I own a salon and I am training two apprentices. This is what leadership should look like.”
The crowd reserved special praise for the SSA on Youth Organisation, Hon. Gbenda Terver, and his counterpart Hon. Emmanuel Iorbee, whom they credited for transparent selection and seamless execution of the programmes across the three senatorial zones.
Saturday’s march comes barely 48 hours after Governor Alia faced heavy criticism over the suspension of the school feeding programme and the prolonged political crisis in the State House of Assembly. Political observers say the massive turnout is a clear message that, despite the controversies, the governor still enjoys strong grassroots support, especially among the youth and women who form the bulk of the state’s voting population.
As the 2027 elections draw closer, scenes like this are a reminder that in Benue politics, street presence and direct empowerment often speak louder than newspaper headlines.
For now, the beneficiaries have only one request: “Let the empowerment continue.” And from the size of the crowd, it is obvious Governor Alia has thousands ready to shout “Yes Father” all over again.
