By Amos Aar
BENUE State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, on Monday announced the payment of ₦12 million outstanding check-off dues owed by the Benue State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) to the national body.
The governor made the declaration during a historic visit to the NUJ Secretariat in Makurdi, where he also presented 1,500 improved Tenera oil palm seedlings to journalists as part of efforts to promote self-development and boost the state’s economy.
Alia further donated an 18-seater bus to the union and pledged to renovate the NUJ House, which was built about 30 years ago. He urged the state council’s leadership to become more visible at the national level.
“I don’t want this state to disconnect with the national. I would like your leadership to create ways of taking care of its members. When we go to the national and you are talking national, … you cannot just stay here in the state and be playing local champions. I need to see you out there on the national and international radar. We will pay your dues of ₦12 million,” the governor declared.
On the distribution of palm seedlings, Alia stressed their economic importance, calling on journalists to take the project seriously.
“Today, I’m not just here as a governor. I’m here as a brother and partner to the media, to celebrate progress and to plant the seeds of a brighter Benue.
Development is not complete if it is not sustainable, if it does not empower the future. That is why this day, I’m launching the Alia Benue Palm Project. These seedlings are not ordinary gifts, they are the foundation of our economy,” he said.
The governor expressed optimism that the seedlings, when fully matured, would help drive Benue’s palm oil economy. “Each palm tree grown today will feed industries, generate wealth for families, and in the next two years, will make Benue stand tall in Nigeria and Africa. You are the storytellers of our society. You shape how business is seen by nations and the world,” he added.
Alia also urged journalists to balance their reporting by highlighting positive developments while offering constructive criticism backed with solutions. He decried the growing spread of misinformation, stressing the role of the media in promoting truth.
Responding to the NUJ chairman’s requests, the governor promised immediate renovation of the NUJ House.
“I want you to consider this moment that the state government will renovate the NUJ House. So, I invite the leadership to take it up immediately as I leave this premises,” Alia said.
On weigh-in allowances for media workers in state-owned organisations, Alia advised the union to take up the matter with the incoming Commissioner for Information once approved by the State Assembly.
“The weigh-in may be too weighty for just the CPS to handle. In a matter of days, I’m hopeful… once the state assembly screens and passes nominees and the new Information Commissioner comes in, if I were you, I advise you to make the weigh-in allowances a priority,” he said.
Earlier in his welcome address, NUJ chairman, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, pledged the council’s unflinching support to the governor.
He lamented that the NUJ Secretariat had not been renovated in over three decades and appealed for urgent intervention. He also requested a utility vehicle, settlement of national dues, and approval of weigh-in allowances for journalists in The Voice Newspaper, Benue Television, and the Ministry of Information.
The NUJ chairman commended Governor Alia for his media-friendly appointments, particularly that of Chief Solomon Iorpev as Technical Adviser on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication.
He further lauded the governor’s ongoing infrastructural projects, interventions in health, and the launch of the Benue Palm Project, describing it as a transformative initiative capable of making the state a leading hub for palm oil production in Nigeria and Africa.
“Today’s event is far more than a symbolic presentation; it is indeed a bold step in planting the seeds of wealth creation, food security, and agricultural diversification in the hands of those whose duty it is to inform, educate, and hold leaders accountable to the governed. You have not only acknowledged the relevance of the press but you have empowered it. For this, we say a heartfelt thank you,” he said.
Apart from former Governor Gabriel Suswam, who once visited the NUJ Secretariat at the invitation of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), Alia’s visit on August 18, 2025, was the first official visit by a sitting Benue governor to the council in decades, breaking a long-standing jinx.
