Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has commended President Bola Tinubu for his inclusive, grassroots-oriented governance and sustained support for the state, saying the administration’s interventions have contributed to improved security and accelerated development in Benue.
Speaking to State House correspondents on Monday after a closed-door meeting with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Alia, who was accompanied by former Benue State Governor, Senator Gabriel Suswam, said the visit was to thank the President for participating in Benue’s 50th anniversary celebration and to brief him on the state’s security and political situation.
The governor said discussions centred on the security situation, the gradual return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their communities, and measures being taken to guarantee their safety as the farming season progresses.
“You know, previously we’ve had a lot of insecurity heat and all that, so it’s calmed down. He needed to know the position of the IDPs now in the state, and also, this is a farming season for us; we are the food basket of the nation. If the IDPs are voluntarily going home, do we still have some anxieties out there? So the answer is yes, and so we know he needed to know how we are tackling that and all that. And then the political situation as well, back home. He also needed to be on the same page with us,” he said.
Alia noted that although security challenges persist in some areas, the overall situation has improved considerably, enabling many displaced residents to begin returning home.
He said the President was also updated on political developments in the state, expressing confidence that agitations within the All Progressives Congress (APC) following the party’s primaries would soon be resolved.
Describing President Tinubu as a committed democrat with strong grassroots appeal, Alia expressed confidence that the APC would remain united in Benue and deliver stronger electoral support for the President in the 2027 election while advancing the state’s development.
“I know that being some agitations from the very APC faithful after the primaries, but I believe that it’s going to be quite calm down. Mr President is a Democrat who understands this.
He’s a grassroots person when we’re working for APC altogether. I am very confident that as I won the election, even for the first time, we’re going to double the numbers for him, and APC will continue to remain just one threshold, and we’re going to make it good for him and for the entire Benue State as well,” he added.
The governor recalled that President Tinubu recently visited Benue to commemorate the state’s golden jubilee, during which he commissioned the Benue Fruit Concentrate Factory. He added that the First Lady had earlier inaugurated 10 urban renewal roads executed by the state government.
According to Alia, other major projects, including the Benue Food Basket Beer Factory, a fruit juice factory and several infrastructure projects, are awaiting commissioning.
