Starrays
By Zack Tsebee (NASS, ABuJA).
The Benue State 10th National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum – NASLAF on the 14th of June, 2025 held a World Press conference in defence of their Principals on the accusations from the executive governor of Benue State, Gov. Hycinth Alia of harbouring and sponsoring genocide in Benue State, defending the integrity of their principals to be associated with that kind of shameful act; referring to the governor’s blame game as a cover up for his failure and naked display of incapacity, incapability of the dynamics of governance and his in ability to get to the root cause of the killings.
The Forum led by the Benue State NASLAF Chairman, Comrde. Samuel Norgba Orvave, firmly and ardently condemned the allegations from the governor, steamrolled against their principals, tagging them as Abuja politicians who are of no value (“Bokoti”) described it as baseless, divertionary, embarrassing and disappointing. He stressed further that, the “so- called” assertions by the governor lacks evidence but rather are designed and politically motivated to distract the good people of Benue State from the governor’s administration’s failures and supremacy tussle.”, Comrade Norgba said .
Again, the Forum further challenges Gov. Alia’s primary and constitutional responsibilities are to handle the affairs of the state, safeguard lives and properties as the Chief Security Officer of the State but he is rather playing the blame game on their Principals to cover up his failures.
The Forum further accused Gov. Alia of not having one voice on the matter and further allegedly said that “the governor having collected an access fee to the tune of Seven Billion Naira from the herders, thus muting and constraining him to taking decisive actions against the militia, but rather resorting to blaming the National Assembly members and the innocent and helpless locals, whom he swore on oath to protect.” the Chairman explained.
Furthermore, the Forum commend the efforts of the Benue National Assembly members commencing with Distinguished Senator Titus Tartenger Zam, Ph.D, Distinguished Senator Emmanuel Memga Udende and Distinguished Senator Abba Moro alongside members of the House of representatives who consistently made efforts to mitigate the ever worsening Benue security situation. They assert that Distinguished Senators and Honourable members on several occasions raised motions on the floor of both Red and Green chambers regarding the insecurity situation in the state. The Forum also said it is worthy of note that almost all the members of Benue Caucus in the National Assembly have at one time or the other procured various relief materials ranging from food items to clothing and sleeping items and supplied to inmates at IDP camps scattered across the state but the governor at on time ceased the relief materials procured by Hon. Terseer Ugbor for onward supply to inmates at IDP camps in Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency. which the rest is history.
These laudable gestures cannot be contradicted by the governor’s antics of blame game.
The Forum also said that, for him to now attempt to drag the blame to the door steps of these honourable personalities led to him blowing hot and cold without any justification.
The Forum through their chairman called on president Bola Ahmed Tinubu to declare a state of emergency in Benue state to arrest the insecurity situation in the state to save the lives of vulnerable Benue people since it has become glaring that the governor lacks ideas to address the insecurity situation, thus, resulting to blame game, thereby, playing politics with the lives of Benue people.
Attached is a copy of the press Briefing:
WORLD PRESS STATEMENT BY BENUE STATE 10TH NATIONAL ASSEMBLY LEGISLATIVE AIDES FORUM, PRESENTED BY THE CHAIRMAN , COMR. NORGBA ORVAVE. ON 14TH JUNE, 2025.
Gentlemen of the Press.
Other protocols duly observed.
It is with a deep sense of responsibility to our dear State that we address you this morning.
It is no longer news that Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia of Benue State on Friday, June 6, 2025, appeared on “Politics Today,” a program of Channels Television, and made an indicting statement to the effect that Benue members of the National Assembly and some politicians of Benue origin based in Abuja are the architects and masterminds of not just instigation of insecurity but harboring and keeping herdsmen, feeding them in the trenches, taking care of all their needs and supplying information gadgets to them.
We, the members of the 10th Benue State National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum note this reckless unsubstantiated statement with utter shock and dismay, same coming from the occupant of the exalted and most revered office of Governor.
A figure, whom if worth his salt, ought to not only confirm such sensitive information but carefully investigate and verify it before going public.
The forum wish to categorically and emphatically condemn these unfounded allegations leveled against their principals.
These claims lack evidence, are politically motivated, and are designed to distract the good people of Benue State from the Governor’s administration failures and governance challenges.
It is sad to note that the Governor, whose primary and Constitutional responsibility is to protect lives and properties of Benue people has clearly demonstrated incapacity to live up to this critical responsibility and has chosen to cover up his glaring failures by a blame game.
It is in public domain that up-til now, the Governor is pathetically unable to identify and establish a clear consistent position on the actual sources of insecurity in Benue State. At one time, it was merely an internal skirmishes, at another, it was an act of foreign terrorism, at yet another, it was a reprisal attack resulting from cattle rustling by the locals and now, insecurity in Benue State is a creation of Benue members of the National Assembly and Abuja based politicians.
He has been heard on several occasions moving back and forth in a clueless effort to identify the actual sources of insecurity. This state of clueless and helplessness underscored the Governor’s inability to tackle our security situation.
How can he solve a problem that he did not know.
It is said that a problem known is half solved. Sadly, he clearly lacks knowledge of the dynamics of this situation that should enable him to properly handle it. It is deeply worrying for the Governor to chose to hang his own failure on the neck of the National Assembly members and Abuja based politicians.
Once again, we condemn and deprecate this highhanded conduct of this supposed priest in strong terms.
The Benue State 10th National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum wishes to bring to the attention of the Governor and or remind him and the general public that on several occasions, Distinguished Senator Titus Tartenger Zam, Ph.D, Distinguished Senator Emmanuel Memga Udende and Distinguished Senator Abba Moro, as well as members of the House of Representatives, have consistently made efforts to mitigate the ever worsening Benue security situation.
The Distinguished Senators and Honourable members on several occasion raised motions on the floor of both Red and Green chambers regarding the insecurity situation in in our dear state. Distinguished Senator Zam has gone a step further by sponsoring a Bill in the senate for the prohibition of open grazing across the country.
This Bill which has already passed the second reading is targeted at curbing incidents of herders farmers clashes which constitute ninety nine percent of Benue insecurity.
It is also on note that almost all the members of the Benue Caucus in the National Assembly have one time or the other procured various relief materials ranging from food items to clothing and sleeping items and supplied to inmates at IDP camps scattered across the state.
The Governor may wish to be reminded of an incident he ceased the relief materials procured by Hon. Terseer Ugbor for onward supply to inmates at IDP camp in Kwande/Ushongo Federal Constituency.
These laudable gestures cannot be contradicted by the Governor’s antics of blame game.
The Governor has in the past viewed this gesture as an effort by the National Assembly members from Benue State to exaggerate the magnitude of the mayhem.
For him to now attempt to drag the blame to the door steps of these honourable personalities amount to blowing hot and cold without any justification.
In addition to the efforts made by National Assembly Members from Benue State, Senator George Akume, fnim, CON, Leader of the All Progressives Congress in Benue State and North Central, and Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has been deeply involved in the fight against insecurity.
As a member of the National Executive Council and the Security Council, his interventions have been appropriately channeled through the Federal Executive Council and the Security Council.
Therefore, discussing security matters in other fora may be unnecessary and inappropriate.
Gentlemen of the Press, several questions begged for answers from the Governor.
What has become of the Benue State Anti-Open Grazing Law in force. Has the said law been repealed. If not, why jettison its enforcement.
Hasn’t the law provided for establishment of ranches and prohibits open grazing. Is it from the ranches that those locals allegedly rustled those cattle. What has he achieved in tackling the worsening security challenges in Benue State since the inception of his administration two years back.
Unfortunately, instead of deeply mediating over the above posers, the Governor has continuously chosen to give excuses for the killer Fulani herders to justify their marauding attacks. In one of his excuses, the heinous attacks are justified because the locals allegedly rustled the herder’s cattle.
One may ask whether the Governor finds the killings proportional to cattle rustled, if at all cattle are rustled.
Another excuse of the Governor is the ECOWAS TRANSHUMAN PROTOCOL which according to him justified the invasion and killings.
In spite of the clear position taken by renowned Prof. S.T. HON SAN, that the said protocol has not come to maturity in any of member states, and even if it does, it can never provide a justification for invasion and killing, the priest refused to take heed even in the wake of wanton slaughtering of his people.
We are left to wonder what is cooking underground but only known to the man.
One is tempted to believe the narrative that the Governor may have collected access fee to tune of Seven Billion Naira from the herders thus muting and constraining him to blaming the National Assembly members and the innocent and helpless locals, whom he swore on oath to protect. The deliberate and shocking concealment by the Chief Security Officer of the state of the actual number of casualties so as to play down the magnitude of the attack appear to lend credence to the access fee rumour. Note, Gentlemen of the Press, that this concealment has robbed the victims of the publicity that would have attracted more attention by the authorities concerned.
Of recent, the Governor has intensified his blame game of the federal lawmakers from his state and other Abuja based politician.
We find this a most worrisome dimension but it also exposes his lack of will, courage, capacity and tenacity to tackle this menace appropriately.
May we state categorically those those law makers accused by the Governor have played their parts creditably well within their powers and the Governor should not expect them to take up his.
We therefore, challenge the Governor as the Chief Security Officer of the state to desist from shadow and vain chasing and live up to the demands of his office by adopting a more inclusive and proactive approaches to handling security challenges.
We advise him further to cease making vague and desperate statements of a drowning man, which statements are highly insensitive, indicting and damaging to the victims he swore to protect.
Mr. Governor, before we conclude, we will like to leave you with a quote from John Burroughs thus, “A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else for his failure.” Continue with your cover up blame game and consign yourself to perpetual abyss of failure.
In conclusion, we once again challenge Mr. Governor, to prioritize securing Benue State, thereby fulfilling one of his cardinal constitutional duties. Resorted to shifting blame, when a decisive and concrete leadership is required, the governor is culpable of gross abdication of and negligence of duty.
Ordinarily, one would expect the governor to be conversant with at least the basic demands of leadership as it stands in Benue state, These include but not limited to:
Enhancing security measures, which entails enforcing in totality the Benue State Anti- Open Grazing law in force.
Collaborating with security agencies, traditional rulers and other community leaders.
Desisting from misappropriating or perhaps, embezzling legitimate security funds meant for the local governments so as to enable the chairmen to tackle insecurity at their various local governments where they know the terrains better.
Replacing action with blame and unnecessary media outings.
Reconsideration of his all round fights against his numerous needless and perceived political foes for a better synergy.
Fulfilling his major and fundamental campaign promise of resettling those in IDP camps to their ancestral homes.
Having fallen short of all this expectations among several other failures thus heating the polity with documented and verifiable cases of unprovocative attacks on ‘disloyal’ party faithfuls at events through his thugs, christened ‘NO ALIA, NO BENUE’ and to forestall total breakdown of law and order in the state we patriotically call on Governor Hyacinth Alia to kindly resign immediately from this office that he has proven lack of courage, preparedness, tenacity and understanding to handle; failure to do that, Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, should kindly declare State of Emergency in our state to give room for the correction of the security issues devastating the state.
