Governor Alia should address BudgiT’s poor rating, not attack Ortom — Benue Advocacy Network

The Benue Advocacy Network (BAN) has called on Governor Hyacinth Alia to respond to damning reports indicting his administration of poor governance and financial mismanagement, instead of launching repeated attacks on former Governor Samuel Ortom.

In a statement signed by its President, Enoch Bemshima Ortese, the group said Governor Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, “once again abandoned substance for smear tactics” after issuing a statement that targeted Chief Samuel Ortom while replying to the APC Elders Council Chairman, Chief Simon Shango.

Chief Shango had, in a widely circulated statement titled “Nigeria’s Security Crisis: Between Trump’s Outrage and Benue’s Leadership Failure,” held Governor Alia responsible for the worsening insecurity and persistent killings in Benue State. His remarks came in response to recent comments by U.S. President Donald J. Trump, warning that Nigeria could face sanctions over the persecution of Christians.

Rather than address the issues raised, Governor Alia reportedly diverted attention by attacking his predecessor, accusing the Ortom administration of failing to resettle internally displaced persons (IDPs) and claiming that his government had achieved more in that regard.

BAN described Alia’s response as “a desperate attempt to deflect attention from his administration’s dismal record and the mounting criticism of his leadership.”

The group pointed to recent independent assessments, including BudgiT’s 2025 Fiscal Performance Index, which ranked Benue among the worst-performing states in Nigeria. According to the report, despite receiving ₦327.61 billion in 2024 — the highest in the state’s history — Benue still suffers from unpaid salaries, pensions, and collapsing infrastructure. BudgiT further revealed that ₦353.81 billion was spent, with nearly ₦200 billion allegedly wasted on unproductive ventures.

Similarly, the Good Governance Rating Index (GGRI), a UK-based organisation, ranked Governor Alia among Nigeria’s poorest-performing governors between 2023 and 2025, citing his failure to confront insecurity, worsening poverty, corruption, and lack of clear development direction. BAN noted that the governor has not refuted any of these damning reports.

In contrast, the statement praised Chief Samuel Ortom for showing “uncommon courage” in defending the people of Benue from violent herders. It recalled that Ortom’s Anti-Open Grazing and Ranches Establishment Law of 2017 and the creation of the Livestock Guards helped curb the activities of armed herders and restore peace in many communities.

“Despite facing hostility from the Buhari administration, impeachment attempts, and even an assassination plot, Ortom stood firm in defending his people. His patriotism and political courage remain unmatched,” the group said.

BAN lamented that these achievements have been “systematically dismantled” under Governor Alia, who, upon assuming office, scrapped the Livestock Guards and reassigned their vehicles for other uses. It added that shortly after, Fulani herders who fled Benue during Ortom’s tenure returned, boasting that the new administration had invited them — a move that coincided with renewed killings and attacks.

When public outrage grew, the group noted, the governor issued an unenforced 14-day ultimatum for the herders to leave Benue, later blaming the people for the violence and accusing them of provoking the attackers — a claim BAN described as “shameful and insensitive.”

The statement also criticized Governor Alia for sidelining local contractors, leading to capital flight, while praising Ortom for empowering homegrown firms and undertaking major infrastructure projects in Makurdi, Gboko, Otukpo, and other parts of the state.

“Under Ortom, the economy of Benue had a human face. Roads were built, schools and hospitals improved, and local contractors were encouraged to grow the state’s economy. Today, all that progress is being reversed,” BAN added.

The group reminded the governor that even though President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has shown zero tolerance for militant pastoralists — evidenced by the ongoing detention of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore leader, Bello Bodejo — Alia has failed to take advantage of this favourable climate to secure Benue.

“Instead of blaming others, Governor Alia should explain why Benue remains unsafe, impoverished, and directionless under his watch,” the statement said.