By Amos Aar
NEW Benue State governor and Catholic Reverend Father, Hyacinth Alia, has frozen all Benue State Government’s bank accounts following his swearing in on Monday, May 29, 2023 as the sixth democratically elected governor of the state.
State chief judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese, swore in Rev. Fr. Alia and his deputy, Sam Ode, on Monday, at the IBB Square, Makurdi, the state capital.
In his inaugural speech, Governor Alia told Benue people that his swearing in marked the beginning of a new Benue that is full of hope.
“I want to assure you, Benue; hope is here! The moment is here and the time is now. A new Benue is possible”, he said.
The new governor, who said his administration will be propped on a 7-point agenda, reiterated his determination and commitment to paying pensions and salaries, creating job opportunities, reviving agriculture as well as providing security, infrastructure, information communication technology and industrialisation.
“One of the most pressing issues facing our state today is insecurity. We cannot achieve any meaningful development in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.
“As your governor, I am committed to working with security agencies and the federal government to ensure the safety of lives and property in our state. We will also work tirelessly to address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, unemployment, and social exclusion.
“The state of our economy is another area that requires urgent attention. We can safely say that our state is on economic life-support requiring intensive care. We will prioritise job creation and economic empowerment by promoting private sector-led industrialisation, with a particular emphasis on agriculture,” he added.
Fr. Alia also promised to sustain the anti-open grazing law enacted under the administration of Governor Ortom, but said the law will be reviewed to improve on its implementation.
“We are inheriting an anti-open grazing law whose implementation has become controversial. Having gone through some period of implementation, it is fit and proper for us to review the law to identify the lessons learned, hold the gains made, if any, and reform to accommodate current realities”, he disclosed.
Governor Alia announced immediate and indefinite freezing of all the state government’s bank accounts until all signatories will be changed.
“May I announce that effective immediately and until further notice, all government bank accounts in all banks are hereby frozen. A post-no-debit instruction shall remain in force until all signatories are changed. Any bank that violates this instruction does so at its own risk”, the newly inaugurated governor cautioned.
