Gov Alia absent as Benue Assembly holds valedictory session for Audu Ogbeh

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, was conspicuously absent on Thursday, September 25, 2025, as the Benue State Government held a combined valedictory session in honor of Chief Audu Innocent Ogbeh, the elder statesman who passed on earlier this month. The solemn event took place at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Makurdi.

Governor Alia was represented by his deputy, Barr. Sam Ode, who led the tributes and described the late Chief Ogbeh as “a man of unparalleled vision and service to the nation.”

Reflecting on Ogbeh’s remarkable career, Alia highlighted his national service as Minister of Communications under President Shehu Shagari and later as Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development.
“Chief Ogbeh’s vision for agriculture went beyond policies; he led by example, establishing farms and plantations that demonstrated the vast potential of Nigerian agriculture. He was a leader who believed in innovation backed by action,” the governor said.

Alia also praised Ogbeh’s integrity and courage during his tenure as National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).