People will talk about Gov Alia’s achievements in Benue South even in 100 years — Okpokwu Ogenyi

Political activist and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Okpokwu Ogenyi, has praised the achievements of Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, saying the impact of his administration would be remembered for generations.

Ogenyi said people would still be talking about the governor’s achievements in the next 100 years, particularly in the areas of road infrastructure, industrialisation and economic development.

He spoke at a gathering in honour of a newly appointed commissioner, Elizabeth Onma Ogenyi in the state.

According to him, Benue, which had for years been largely described as a civil service state, is gradually witnessing a shift towards industrialisation under the Alia administration.

“Ladies and gentlemen, Benue has largely been referred to as a civil service state. But within three years of the Father’s administration, Benue has become an industrialised state,” Ogenyi said.

He listed some of the administration’s interventions in the industrial sector, including investments in manufacturing and the revival of some facilities under the Benue Investment and Property Company, BIPC.

Ogenyi also highlighted the administration’s road projects and drainage infrastructure, saying the interventions had helped address flooding in parts of the state.

“The governor has built roads, channelled water through drainages and has controlled the flood that ravaged the state and devastated billions of naira worth of properties on a yearly basis,” he said.

He further claimed that the Alia administration was constructing about 600 kilometres of roads across the state, comparing the scale of the projects with ongoing infrastructure development in the Federal Capital Territory.

“The governor is building 600 kilometres of roads. I live in Abuja. Wike is building 300 kilometres of roads,” he said.

Speaking on the quality of the road projects, Ogenyi expressed confidence that they would endure for decades.

“I want to say that the roads the governor is constructing in Benue have a 30-year guarantee. Children who will be born in the next five years will still grow up to see the roads of the Reverend Father,” he said.

He also cited developments in agriculture and small-scale processing, including the acquisition of garri and palm oil processing machines for distribution across local government areas.

Ogenyi urged residents who disagreed with his assessment of the administration to independently investigate projects being executed in their respective communities.

“Some of you may not agree with my view, but I want you to put it to the test by investigating in your various areas,” he said.

He maintained that his comments were driven by his desire to see Benue State develop, insisting that the achievements being recorded under the Alia administration would leave a lasting legacy.

According to him, the governor’s developmental strides are such that people will still talk about his achievements even in 100 years.