On June 8th, 1998 when the then Head of State of Nigeria, General Sani Abacha died, I was in secondary school as a boarding student at NKST Secondary School, Adikpo, Kwande, Benue State and heard the news of his demise on Radio Nigeria.
Since I was someone who loved development, at a very young age, I began praying to God to give Nigeria and Benue State progressive-minded president and governor respectively.
On June 8th, 1998, Major General Abdulsalami Abubakar became the new Head of State and Chairman of the Provisional Ruling Council and later handed over power to a democratically elected President Olusegun Obasanjo on May 29, 1999 after the presidential election held on February 27th, 1999 while the gubernatorial election was held on January 9th, 1999.
Since the return of uninterrupted democracy in Nigeria from 1999 till date, the Executive Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia is the first governor that has refused to associate himself with audio and substandard projects. Since he became governor, he says what he knows he can do and when that is done, the standard is top-notch.
In the past administrations, there were so many audio and substandard projects with millions and billions of naira said to have been used in executing them. Most worrisome was the recent past administration where audio and substandard projects were institutionalized.
There is an excerpt from www.iambenue.com publication on October 30, 2016 made to one of the audio projects that was the proposed "Cargo Airport" in Benue State. The excerpt reads: "The much awaited groundbreaking ceremony for the Cargopolis Makurdi Airport, eventually came to pass. It was the first time in Nigeria and the entire West African sub-region that an event for the construction of an airport of this nature and magnitude was held. In other words, when completed, the Makurdi Cargo Airport will be the first of its kind in the sub-region". Unfortunately, the project became an audio project that never saw the light of the day.
This is just a 'trademark' example of the audio projects by the past administration including substandard projects seen in the few roads and drainages constructed including renovations.
Gov. Alia is not hankering for avarice like most politicians do neither is he desperate to establish a dynasty to syphon Benue State funds that should be used for the development of the state, empowerment of youth, women and children amongst others.
Alia doesn't award audio projects. He says what he knows he can do. Once such projects or contracts are awarded, the contractors know that it is no more business as usual when contracts where awarded on paper but never executed or executed but substandard.
The emergence of Alia as the governor of Benue State is a sign that the Almighty God still loves Benue and heard their cry for good leadership.
Most of those who denigrate Alia is because he has blocked their conduit pipes for their cupidity and channelled the funds for development which has dispelled the hitherto belief by the good people of Benue State that all Benue politicians and politicians generally are the same.
To ensure that Benue State becomes one of the best states in Nigeria for infrastructural and other developments, Gov. Alia doesn't award audio projects and he supervises all the contracts he awards which some are completed, many ongoing and others to commence soon. Such supervision is to ensure that no contractor puts any project on audio mode or does any substandard work.
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