Now Let us Make Benue Great Again –By Matthew Ma

Dear Governor, Fr. Hyacinth Alia,

In March this year, I wrote you an open letter to formally congratulate you on your success in the governorship poll. This time around, my letter is not to congratulate you but to welcome you to the Government House Makurdi. But before I proceed, I would like to clearly state that this piece is not an attempt to replicate the amazing analysis many have put forward for your administration. The motivation to put up such a write-up is to plead with you to make Benue State Great Again. You will recall that on March 18th 2023, Benue people voted you overwhelmingly to emerge as the governor they can be proud of. The people known by the title as The Food Basket of the Nation- decided to take a break from the usual faces of politicians they elect every year to elect, according to you, someone who is not qualified to lead. They broke from the recycling chain to bring someone entirely new. In retrospection, we can say the voters glanced through where a glimmer of salvation once shone. They turned to the Catholic Church which once gave them a temporal liberator to liberate them from the shackles of agony. Like Rev. Fr. Moses Adasu, you (Rev. Fr. Alia) offered yourself, promising to bring relief to these beleaguered people. While you emerged in a time when the socio-political environment and the peace we enjoy in Benue state have greatly evolved in a most dilapidated direction, it is my belief, shared by a great deal of the people of Benue State who gave their votes to you, that you are a man of focus who will not betray the aggregate hopes of those who have put their confidence in you and that you will not renege on your campaign promises nor stray from the noble path.

Your excellency, I would like to talk to you about the following in this open letter: 1) Traditional rulers, 2) transport companies, 3) producing industries, 4) agricultural sector, 5) education, and 6) Land Use Act. Soon after you won your governorship election, I watched a video of your visit to our industrious sons and daughters to show your certificate of return. Among those you visited were the paramount ruler of the Tiv nation, the Tor Tiv, Orcivirigh Prof James Ayatse, Isaac Shaahu, a former cabinet minister in the aborted second republic and later the Chairman of the Middle Belt Forum, and Brig. Gen. John Atom Kpera (Rtd), first Military Governor of Anambra State after it was created from the old East Central State during the military regime of General Olusegun Obasanjo and later the Military Governor of Benue State during the military regime of Major-General Muhammadu Buhari. You did a commendable job by paying a surprise visit to our elders. You presented your certificate of return to our paramount leader the Tor Tiv. Gone are the days when the traditional ruler will pay a solidarity visit to the elected governor. This time around, you change the narratives and showed us how to respect our traditional rulers. During your visit, you presented your certificate of return to our paramount leader the Tor Tiv. Recall that Nigeria has witnessed removal or dethronement of traditional rulers for alleged offences, ranging from lack of respect for the governor or often put, gross misconduct. These were once revered traditional institutions recognized and respected by subjects, irrespective of socio-economic or political status. Unfortunately, the institution appeared to be losing its glory, especially in the hands of some governors. For example, sometime in 2021, Anambra State Governor dethroned three traditional rulers and withdrew their Certificate of Recognition. The sacked monarchs were said to be among the 12 rulers suspended in the state for visiting Abuja to see President Muhammadu Buhari without the state government’s approval. Recall too that one of Nigeria’s prominent figures and former Emir of Kano, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, was humiliated in like manner for speaking up against the state. Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, in 2022, dethroned the embattled Sanusi over what he called disrespect to lawful instructions from Government of Kano State and other lawful authorities.

Similar instances have also occurred in Benue, where the sitting governor dealt decisively with any traditional ruler that holds any view contrary to his. One particular instance is the manner by which the Benue state government either removed or arrested traditional rulers over violent land disputes in Konshisha, Ushongo, and Gwer East Local Government Areas of the State some years ago. The government carried out the arrest and suspension based on an expanded meeting of the Executive Council. This development, many considered as unhealthy to the nation in view of the position traditional rulers hold as the middlemen between citizens and the government. Many people felt that incessant abuse of this institution will end up demystifying it before citizens and further encroach on the nation’s traditional values. But on whether traditional rulers have not compromised their offices for selfish interests, the answer is in many instances, traditional rulers have been at the beck and call of politicians and most often, help political players to come to power. And when they fall out of favor with them, the governors use the same arguments that they may have benefited from to remove them. While many blamed the situation on undue interference in politics by traditional rulers, which often lead them to compromise the value of their exalted office, others felt they should not be alienated from airing their political views simply by virtue of their office. Unfortunately, it also appeared there is no power in the constitution to protect traditional rulers, considering the ease with which they are removed and replaced by their respective governors.

As the governor of Benue state, we urge your excellency to please, help the Benue indigene to restore the dignity of our traditional rulers. Let the traditional leaders understand they have the right to receive a guest or politician in their palace but should not travel around to meet the politicians. I have not heard where the Oba of Benin travels to see politicians who visits his state. I have not seen the Emir of Kano coming out to visit a politician in his office. Neither have I seen a traditional ruler at the Toll Gate to receive a politician who is on a state visit. The late Ochi Idoma, HRH Abraham Ojene Okpabi never left his palace to visit a politician. They rather paid him a courtesy call when they were on official duty to Benue state. Today, the narratives have changed. Traditional rulers have become errand boys for politicians. They are insulted by everyone of us. In most cases they are ridiculed and called names. This is not the traditional rulers we want to see. We want to see our monarchs playing respective roles, asserting their authorities, and working together to achieve peace and security in our state. Hence, a politician who visits our state should travel to see our monarch in his palace and not the other way round. As the governor, ensure that traditional rulers are respected and accorded with protection against being deposed indiscriminately by agents of state. It is embarrassing to read on media platforms that some monarchs have been arrested or arraigned, perhaps for behaving in a manner that is unbecoming of a traditional ruler. But this does not mean that traditional rulers should not be disposed of their duty if they are found lacking. The problem we have in Nigeria is that almost everybody is His Royal Majesty, His imperial Majesty, His Royal Highness and so on and-so-forth. You also find out that traditional rulers are appointed and upgraded from one thing or the other.

For this reason, your excellency, the concept of public interest, insult on our elders, pride, and the disunity of Benue people is in brawl against respect for elders and traditional rulers. Tolerance, cooperation, friendliness, hospitality, and the space for collective thinking, opinion, ideas, philosophy, worldview, and consulting has shrunken beyond recognition in Benue state. Indeed, nearly all that was a virtue has given way to everything that is wrong with any dying society. The attitude of taking down on a brother or sister has become the order of the day. It has become a recurring decimal in our existence as a people. Today, Benue State is at a disadvantage, as it has been since Nigeria’s inception. Still, ironically, we have dealt the deadliest blows from within, creating the most significant obstacles for ourselves. We cannot spare anybody from the destructive drive. As the governor in the most polarized State, we beg you to help us restore the dignity of our traditional institution. We want to respect our traditional leaders but hold them accountable when they fail us. This is the time to do this. And I know you have the compassion to do this.

On May 8, 2023, Scholastica Onyeka, of the Sun Newspaper recounted that a Federal High Court sitting in Makurdi adjourned the case on privatization between the Benue State government and its owned transport company, Benue Links. Ms. Onyeka noted that the state government had in August 2021 put up 25 of its public assets classified as moribund for outright sale or concessions including the transport company known as Benue Links. But the Benue Links branch in Makurdi, went to court to challenge the state government to rescind its decision about the transport company because the establishment had not at any time in the last 33 years existence under performed. I can’t imagine that this transport company is celebrating 33 years of road transportation and yet many people are aggrieved by their functions, lapses, delays, and failures. For years, the movement of people and goods within Benue and its environs has become a major challenge for Benue Links. Saying Benue Links is in difficulty is an understatement. With most of the vehicles used for public transport in near-total disrepair, the environment also suffered as fumes from old and tired engines made the air unbreathable and waste from vehicles made the roads dirty. The reality today is a vastly destroyed public transportation system of Benue Links without modern vehicles. Today, the nonexistence of a government vehicle at the park is a true reflection of the dilapidation state of the transport company. Most of the vehicle inscribe as Benue Links are all private owned by people and contracted to Benue Links. It is important to note that if our transport sector want to become the center of attraction – it must improve a lot of its low areas and service delivery. This will also make businesses within the sector grow as well as provide better solutions to satisfy customers and avoid failure of its product that can lead customers seeking patronage elsewhere. Hence, there is an urgent need to make Benue Links transportation sector to be more secure, safer, and sustainable. This is expedient as recent activities of passengers getting killed, kidnapped, and treated poorly are unacceptable. Other unacceptable activities in the sector are the random prices charged, poor health and safety standards, lack of operational standards, poor communication that need to change for the sector to maximize all available opportunities. These challenges call for the government to adopt better strategies to help Benue Links provide better services, grow its top line, and be more innovative and efficient. It will also make the sector close existing gaps between it and its stakeholders through building better communication strategies that can enable it to appraise its performance through the lens of passengers.

Your excellency, let me draw your attention to two companies that might interest you to know there whereabout. Nigeria’s pioneer and largest brewing firm, Nigerian Breweries, in its 76 years of existence has continued to blaze the trail, going beyond the frontiers of brewing to connect with the daily lives of Nigerians on a deeper level. The company which was incorporated in 1946 has breweries in Lagos (1949), Aba (1957), Kaduna (1963), Ibadan (1982), Enugu (1993), and Ama Brewery (2003) – which is currently the biggest and most modern brewery in Nigeria. Following the merger of Nigerian Breweries Plc and Consolidated Breweries in December 2014, Nigerian breweries began operations in three additional breweries in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Awo-Omamma in Imo State and Makurdi in Benue State. However, recently, our attention has been drawn to a news alleging that the Nigerian Breweries has relocated to Kaduna and is producing More Larger Beer from that state and shipping it to Makurdi.

Why do we pay taxes? The simple answer is that, until someone comes up with a better idea, taxation is the only practical means of raising the revenue to finance government spending on the goods and services that most of us demand. Setting up an efficient and fair tax system is, however, far from simple, particularly for developing countries that want to become integrated in the international economy. The ideal tax system in these countries should raise essential revenue without excessive government borrowing, and should do so without discouraging economic activity and without deviating too much from tax systems in other countries.

An agro-commodities company, Olam Nigeria Limited, has recently attributed the relocation of largest rice farm in Africa from Benue to Nassarawa State because of excessive taxation. The company’s Makurdi Unit Head, made this disclosure in response to enquiries by people from the locality where this company was established, saying that the relocation of the rice farm was necessitated by overwhelming challenges which borders on excessive revenue charges.

My time was different because today, the local government councils are no longer operating throughout the federation; I mean they are not functioning as expected despite the fact that they are receiving allocations, but the people are not benefiting from the government except the chairman and other council officials, and that is why there is crisis at that level. Since 1999 till now, the local government system has collapsed and this is affecting the overall system and stalling development at that tier of government. I am afraid that things would remain the same for our people if something is not done urgently about the anomaly.

Your excellency, you have to clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. To do this, it is up to you to decide the sartorial offering you intend to hand to the Benue people. You know the challenges – the workers have been reduced in terms of dignity to peasants, the agricultural products continue to rot away in the vast fields while the youths roam cities in search of white-collar jobs and of course the protracted header-farmer clashes which became the most prominent cash cow of the outgoing administration. The subsisting governor’s admirers call him “The Defender of the Benue valley”. But I see this nickname as a misrepresentation or a caricature that is derisive and pathetic. If not, why are more than half of the twenty-three local councils in rural Benue in the hands of the so-called terrorists?” What has he been defending? You promised to bring everyone on board. But this is tricky but with proper discernment you can succeed. After all, no human geography has historically ever made progress in an atmosphere of chaos. Hence, you deserve all the encouragement to walk this path of peace – fashion a framework for cattle breeders, preserve land for farmers and ensure the mass production of raw materials for the industrialization program that he has drafted.

Sometimes, comments, praises, and accolades about you coming from old politicians of Benue state pinches me. As political autocrats of the State since 1999, I am yet to hear one comment about them publicly on any development plan they had which may have been pushed aside by his successors. Their performances in office were abysmal. Besides their trader-sense politicking, nothing renowned is attached to their name. I am frightened that their positioning as the new godfather will threaten democracy and development plans you have for the state. But I am console by the fact that some of them are Christians and even Catholics aware perhaps he has received communion and spiritual counsel at the feet of Father Alia. So, there might be a limit to any rancor, if one arises, as both men paddle the Benue boat. It will appear nothing just yet is blotting that light, especially if a careful delineation of roles between Partyman-godfather and governor-priest is undertaken before inauguration day.

The greatest impediment to effective governance is the vaulting quest to amass wealth at the expense of the State. It is widely reported that most Nigerian political leaders assume office as paupers but exit as wealthy emperors. That happens chiefly due to what the journalist, Mikela Wrong has called ‘It’s Our Time To Eat,’ the uncontrollable appetite which leads people in positions of authority to confuse their holding with public estate. We have seen this happen via barefaced robbery, shoddy privatization program, contract inflation, absolute lack of accountability etc. If he stands by the dictates of his calling, Father Alia has this Nigerian elite syndrome under check. He knows his calling. He is bound by the oath of celibacy, to be poor and to the church through his bishop. So, he has no business drifting his hands into the public till. Alia knows that in the end, divine judgment will begin from the House of God and those who hold the keys to the temple will be most queried for their deeds. Indeed, as the Catholic Bishop of Awka, Most Reverend Dr Paulinus Ezeokafor only recently admonished priests in his Diocese, “You must shun accumulation of riches. This is not your vocation. Priests neither have children, nor (sic) families, so how will someone who has no children seeking to make a lot of money, when their task is to propagate the gospel?” For Benue people, you have a father and you are all his children. It behoves the priest-politician to ensure that he brings his calling, his oaths, his work ethic and his humanity to bear on the governance of Benue State. Yours is to be like the lay faithful, subtly probing so he doesn’t deviate from the set goals.

I think that if Father Alia just takes a cue from the Holy Father, Pope Francis or even his Bishop in the Gboko Episcopate, he will let the light shine brightly across Tivland, Idomaland, Igedeland and importantly, Nigeria. The pope does not need to nudge any priest to go say Mass in his parish or station. He only sets the template drawn from Church authority. Alia does not need yes men, eye service-meddlesome officials. He just needs to introduce and impart a culture- his Catholicism. And we will see the promise of light come alive and the end of flashes of false hopes.