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A fresh controversy has erupted in Benue State after a Labour Party social media activist, Igbawua Kulekule Thedus, openly accused the Hyacinth Alia administration of deliberately misleading the public with fake empowerment claims.
According to Thedus, photographs widely circulated by known government sympathisers including one Terfa Naswem showing crowds of people in white attire receiving “empowerment packages” were actually taken during the annual Christ the King procession, a purely religious event, and not from any government programme.
He described the action as “mischievous”, questioning why worshippers dressed in liturgical colours and carrying church banners were being passed off as beneficiaries of Governor Alia’s empowerment scheme, especially to audiences outside the state who may not recognise the context.
The activist went further, claiming the much-hyped empowerment exercise itself was a disappointment. He cited a young neighbour who allegedly participated and walked away with only five hundred naira (₦500), far below what had been publicised as life-changing support.
As expected, the allegation has ignited heated debates across social media, with many demanding proof of actual beneficiaries and transparent documentation of funds disbursed. Others have accused the government of desperation to score cheap political points at a time when citizens are reeling from insecurity and economic hardship.
So far, neither the Benue State Government nor any of its information handlers has issued an official response to the allegations. The silence is only fuelling more suspicion in a state where trust in government communication has been repeatedly tested.
In a week already dominated by murder, robbery and grief, this latest accusation of staged propaganda has only deepened public frustration and raised new questions about accountability and truthfulness from those in power.
