By TYAV SAM TYAV, Makurdi –
Over ten thousand members of the main opposition, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other political parties have defected from their parties to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State.
During the launch of Governor Hyacinth Alia’s state-wide ‘thank you’ tour in Katsina-Ala, Adikpo and Vandeikya towns respectively, a group of decampees from various federal constituencies in Benue North-east senatorial zone defected to the governor’s party. The decampees hailed from Katsina-Ala, Kwande/Ushongo, and Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituencies, demonstrating their support for Governor Alia led administration.”
Receiving the decampees, the state Acting chairman of the APC, Benjamin Omakolo, assured them of equal and maximum opportunity in the party and urged them to support the administration to take the state to the next level of development
Governor Alia appreciated the people for their support during the last elections.
The governor also promised to construct thirteen roads across the seven local governments areas of the zone ‘A’ Senatorial District. He reiterated his administration’s determination to return all the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of armed herdsmen attacks to their ancestral homes to continue normal farming activities.
The Governor maintained that the issue of security is not the responsibility of government alone, and enjoined all and sundry to join hands with him in the onerous task to rid the state of attacks.
He also urged the people to form cooperative societies through which they would receive farm inputs and other benefits from his administration to develop themselves to be self-reliant.
Alia debunked the reports that he had borrowed huge sums of money from foreign financial institutions to execute infrastructural projects in the state.
He announced the award of contract for the construction of the Sankera-Chito-Vaase road to help check the worsening insecurity situation bedeviling the area, revealing that he had contacted President Bola Tinubu to assist the state construct more roads network in Sankera and he graciously approved construction of the Katsina-Ala Head Bridge-Hausa Quarters/Victory Bible Church, Wukari Junction; the Zaki-Biam Yam Market-Iwar Ior-Y Junction roads and urged the people to be patient with the President as he has meant well for the state in the area of development projects.
A member representing Ukum, Logo and Ukum federal constituency in the House of Representatives, Solomon Wombo, endorsed Governor Alia for a second term, adding that Sankera people have unanimously endorsed the governor to contest again because of the track record of achievements he has put on the sand of history within his one year in office which he said no governor of the state had ever recorded.
Wombo frowned at the growing insecurity situation bedeviling the area which he said is in dual fold including local militia and armed herdsmen and appealed to the governor to tackle the menace for the development of Sankera to enable residents go back to their farms.
The Chief of Staff to the Governor,Paul Biam, who spoke in the same vein, hailed the one year scorecard of the Alia led administration which he noted have surpassed those of the immediate past governor.
Biam hinted that the Alia led administration has a programme of stomach infrastructure for the people after critical projects might have been attended to, to enable the people have the feel of government.
“After roads and other infrastructural development, the governor would resort to stomach infrastructure and the cries of hunger will be a thing of the past”.
At Kwande/Ushongo, Governor Alia appreciated the people’s support to him and promised to reciprocate the gesture via the construction of the Adikpo-Mbape-Ada road to link the state to neighbouring Cross River state.
He commended chairman of the local government for lighting up Adikpo town within few days in office, but lamented the insecurity situation in the local government especially the armed herdsmen attacks and the illegal mining activities, and tasked traditional rulers to rise up by ensuring that anyone caught confronts the full wrath of the law.
At Vandeikya where the people of Vandeikya/Konshisha federal constituency gathered, Governor Alia applauded the Local Governments Council Chairmen, party faithful for their support and urged them to remain supportive to his administration and promised that more projects would be executed for the people of the area.
Senator Barnabas Gemade, who spoke for the people cautioned against all forms of sabotage but urged the people to support the Governor to succeed.
