An All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain in Benue State, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, has declared that Governor Hyacinth Alia’s development projects across the state will make him memorable to generations of Benue people.
Ogenyi made the declaration during an interview on Idoma Television’s The Conversation, where he highlighted projects executed by the Alia administration, particularly in Benue South Senatorial District.
According to him, the governor’s interventions in roads, water, healthcare, education and industrial development have changed his initial perception of Alia.
Ogenyi disclosed that he did not initially support Alia during the 2023 APC governorship primary because he doubted his capacity to govern the state.
He, however, said the governor had since proved him wrong.
“I did not even believe in the capacity of Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia. I did not support him during the primary elections. I only came to support him as the candidate of my party during the governorship elections.
“Even after that, I still doubted his capacity to deliver the needed result. But after two years in office, the governor proved me wrong,” he said.
Ogenyi, who contested the Benue governorship election in 2019, said Alia’s intervention in flood control was one of the issues that changed his assessment of the governor.
He recalled that previous administrations had regularly battled flooding in the state, particularly in Makurdi, but said the Alia administration had constructed drainage channels and redirected water into River Benue.
“Benue used to flood yearly,” he said, adding that after the first year of Alia’s administration, “the second year, no flood. Third year, no flood.”
“It wasn’t magic. He has consciously constructed the drainage areas, channelled all the waters to River Benue, and Benue is no longer flooding,” Ogenyi said.
Roads across Benue South
The APC chieftain also listed several road projects in Benue South, saying the governor had demonstrated what he described as an even distribution of infrastructure across the state.
“In Benue South, for example, where I come from, in other local governments, the governor is constructing 42-kilometre road from Igumale to Agila, and the road is 80% in completion,” he said.
He also mentioned the Obagaji–Okokolo–Agagbe road, which he said was approaching completion, as well as the Oju–Awajir road, which he said cuts across communities in the zone.
According to him, other roads approved by the state government include the Igumale–Agila road and roads around Ogbadibo and Ugbokolo linking communities towards the Otukpo–Enugu axis.
Ogenyi further said the government had embarked on five-kilometre road projects in each of the nine local government areas of Benue South.
‘Benue will remember Alia for 100 years’
Explaining his earlier statement that Benue would not forget Alia in 100 years, Ogenyi said the governor had brought potable water to communities that previously had no access to it.
“When a governor has given water, for example, to a place that has never seen water since the existence of that community… so now they have running water,” he said.
“That water will last even more than 100 years. And the people will continue to remember the governor.”
He also cited road construction in communities that he said had previously become inaccessible during the rainy season.
According to him, residents of some communities had to push vehicles through mud before the intervention of the state government.
“The governor has already solved that problem,” he said.
Ogenyi also referenced developments in Guma Local Government Area, saying residents had acknowledged the impact of road construction on access to farms and communities.
“These people, in the next even 200 years, will not forget the achievement of Governor Hyacinth Alia,” he said.
Otobi Waterworks, Adoka Dam
The APC chieftain particularly highlighted the rehabilitation of the Otobi Waterworks, saying the state government provided N1.57 billion in counterpart funding to facilitate the release of funds for the project.
He said the intervention became necessary because residents of Otukpo had faced prolonged water shortages.
“The governor came in. Instead of starting to give them paracetamol and anti-malaria, Governor Hyacinth Alia came in. He could counterpart fund of 1.57 billion for water to be released,” Ogenyi said.
He added that the government was also working on the Adoka Dam in Otukpo, which he said would help resupply water to Otukpo and surrounding communities.
Schools, healthcare and teachers
Ogenyi also listed primary healthcare development among the administration’s interventions in Zone C.
He said the government had undertaken projects in local government areas including Ogbadibo and Oju, while also rehabilitating and renovating primary and secondary schools across the state.
He further claimed that the administration had modernised schools and moved them away from dependence on chalkboards.
Ogenyi also cited the recruitment of about 10,000 teachers, with additional recruitment expected, as part of efforts to strengthen the education sector.
‘Benue has become an industrialised state’
On the question of projects initiated by Alia as opposed to those inherited from previous administrations, Ogenyi said government was a continuous process and that abandoned projects should not be allowed to waste public resources.
He, however, argued that several of the major projects associated with the current administration were conceived and initiated by Alia.
According to him, the projects include the dualisation of Makurdi Township Road towards the cargo airport and Gboko, street lighting in Makurdi, a juice concentrate factory, a nail production factory and a brewery.
He also mentioned a fertiliser blending plant and the revival of Taraku Mills.
“The juice concentrate factory also started and completed by the governor.
“The nail production factory was started and completed by the governor.
“The beer, that brewery, was started and completed by the governor, where we produce Ziva beer, malt and oil.
“The fertiliser blending plant was also subsidised by the governor,” he said.
On Taraku Mills, Ogenyi said: “Taraku Mills has been revamped and is about to commence operation, courtesy of Reverend Father Doctor Hyacinth Alia.”
He said: “Benue today has become an industrialised state instead of a civil service state. Courtesy of Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia.”
On continuity of government
Ogenyi acknowledged that some projects predated the Alia administration, citing Otobi Waterworks as an example.
He said the water project was originally undertaken under former Governor Gabriel Suswam, but Alia paid the outstanding counterpart funding required to move the project forward.
He also referred to the tomato paste factory in Anum, saying the project dates back to the administration of former Governor George Akume but had remained inactive through subsequent administrations before Alia revisited it.
“Abandon a project for 16 years. The Umale estate factory for another 16 years. So if we want Benue to move forward, we must support the government,” he said.
Asked what he would tell a Benue South voter who wanted to know why Alia should be supported in 2027, Ogenyi pointed to the governor’s record on infrastructure, healthcare, roads, water, pensions and social programmes.
“When you have a government that pays pension, does infrastructure, like healthcare, road network… and the other social investment, water is life, that is bringing water, electricity and all of that.
“Do you need anybody to convince you to vote for the government? You will naturally be mobilised to vote for the government,” he said.
