Politics
Alia Needs Second Term to Transform Benue, Governor’s Spokesman Insists
From Dooshima Terkura, Makurdi
The Chief Press Secretary to Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, Sir Tersoo Kula, has argued that the governor needs a second term in office to consolidate the foundations he has laid for the state’s development.
Kula, in a statement advocating continuity ahead of the 2027 governorship election, said the governor’s first term should be assessed in the context of the challenges inherited by his administration and the foundations being established to address them.
He argued that sustainable development requires patience, consistency and continuity, rather than rushing to deliver projects designed primarily to generate immediate public applause.
According to him, Alia assumed office at a difficult time when the state was grappling with insecurity, unpaid obligations, weak institutions, youth unemployment and economic challenges, which he said could not be resolved within a single budget cycle or political season.
Kula maintained that the first four years of an administration should focus on identifying critical problems, strengthening institutions, restoring public confidence and establishing systems capable of delivering lasting development.
“Governor Alia took over the reins of Benue State at a really difficult moment, having been handed a state that was bleeding, a state was in hemorrhaging. Before the coming of Alia, Benue faced insecurity, unpaid obligations, weak institutions, youth unemployment and a struggling economy.
“These problems are not going to disappear because Alia simply wishes them to disappear; they won’t disappear through one budget or one political season. They require patience, discipline and continuity in commitment.”
He said the government’s performance should be assessed through practical questions, including the transparency of public finances, regular payment of workers’ salaries, improvements in schools and hospitals, rehabilitation of roads linking farming communities to markets, and efforts to address insecurity.
The governor’s spokesman cited the need for motorable roads to enable farmers in Mbagwaza to transport cassava to Ihugh, Lessel and Adikpo. He added that traders in Agila and Gbajimba require safer and better roads to reach markets in Igumale and Makurdi.
He also highlighted the need for functional classrooms in Vandeikya and accessible healthcare facilities in Obi, arguing that such improvements would have a more lasting impact on residents than projects designed merely to attract public attention.
According to Kula, the administration’s first term should lay the foundation for stronger local administration, improved security, agricultural development and an economy capable of attracting private investment.
He said a second term would provide an opportunity to expand existing efforts, complete ongoing projects and translate early reforms into measurable development outcomes.
Kula warned that frequent changes in government could undermine continuity, arguing that successive administrations should not have to restart development processes or spend valuable time rediscovering problems and policies already identified by their predecessors.
“Continuity should not mean researching what is already known to the current administration. It should mean giving credible policies enough time to mature while holding the government accountable,” he said.
He, however, maintained that the central question for the people of Benue should be whether the administration’s efforts were moving the state forward.
Kula expressed confidence that Benue was making progress under Alia’s leadership, adding that the state was moving from negative to positive, a position he said even opposition figures did not deny.