The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State, on Tuesday, described the 100 days of Governor Hyacinth Alia in office as a fusion of emptiness and disappointment.
In a statement, State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Bemgba Iortyom, said, “It is an incontrovertible fact that he has achieved the worst take off in office of any governor of the state, both military and civilian, since its creation in 1976, with neither direction nor content to be found in anything he has done so far.
“PDP’s assessment of Governor Alia’s performance derives from the template of promises he made during the campaigns and after he assumed office, chiefly amongst which were to return persons displaced from genocide (IDPs) back to their ancestral lands, as well as to clear arrears of salaries and pensions to workers and retirees, all within his first 100 days in office.
“Not only has the governor failed to make good on any of those promises, he has evidently not even considered them a priority since their pronouncement. If Governor Alia has achieved anything in his first 100 days in office, it is, perhaps a counterintuitive manner of governance which has seen him lock up all government financial accounts, giving as his alibi a fear of “hyenas and hawks” whom he says are waiting to devour the contents of those accounts.
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“Yet himself has been drawing from the same accounts since his possibly a ‘lamb and dove’ who won’t touch the funds even as he administers them without the institutional supervision prescribed by law.”
The PDP further contended that the Governor has run the most bizarre government ever known under Nigeria’s democracy, with his failure to appoint an executive cabinet well after the 60 days required under law.
Iortyom added that, “If there must be anything ascribed to Governor Hyacinth Alia as performance track record in his first 100 days in office, it will most likely be a disregard for due process and the rule of law which has brought upon his regime an avalanche of court cases from parties injured from his serial infractions of law.
“PDP urges the governor to wrap his head around the fact that he has a date with history, no matter how short his time in office might likely be, and put in place a legacy which can only be in the form of governance as positively impacts the lives of the people, and not the ostentation and vendetta which so far trademarks him.”
Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, did not respond to calls and texts put through his telephone.
On his part, the State Publicity Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Morgan Ihomun, said, the take off of Governor Alia was unprecedented.
Ihomun, “Of course, he (PDP) has done a lot in his first 100 days in office. He has started massive construction of roads within Makurdi metropolis in this100 days and he has rehabilitated the State House of Assembly complex. The Governor has also commenced the training of thousands of Benue youths in Information Technology. This he is doing to better the lot of Benue youths.
“So we have no doubt and we are confident that Governor Alia will excel and take Benue from the doldrums PDP left it to a better place. Governor Alia is focused on changing the narrative. He is ready to enhance the life of every Benue citizen and we are proud of his achievements in his first 100 days.
“So the PDP should continue to lick their wounds and also get themselves prepared for elelection in 2027. They should know that elections have been won and lost and they should focus on rebuilding their battered party and image.”
