Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has marked his two-year midterm in office with a statewide performance tour led by prominent national figures, including former Minister of Information Labaran Maku and ex-NOYA Director-General Mike Omeri. The event serves as a comprehensive assessment of the administration’s impact across key sectors: education, transportation, agriculture, public service, youth empowerment, and governance.
The tour, which has showcased an array of completed and ongoing projects, comes amid widespread praise for Alia’s leadership, described by many as transformative and accountable.
In the education sector, Dr. Grace Adagba, Executive Chairman of the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB), highlighted sweeping reforms under Alia’s administration. These include:
Renovation and construction of over 253 school buildings across all local government areas.
Provision of over 13,000 classroom furniture units, 66 water facilities, and 156 WASH installations in public schools.
Introduction of an e-payment system to enhance transparency in funds disbursement.
Training of 6,069 basic education teachers and distribution of modern instructional materials.
Recruitment of over 9,000 new teachers through a transparent, computer-based process.
Launch of digital and non-digital libraries and the revival of sports and creative arts in schools.
Implementation of a N75,000 minimum wage and regular payment of salaries and pensions.
Dr. Terna Francis, Director General of the Benue State Bureau for Education Quality Assurance (BEQA), reinforced this progress with new evaluation metrics. These include curriculum quality, teacher qualifications, lesson attendance, and compliance with digital recordkeeping (e-dossiers).
Francis also revealed a new partnership with Novus Microfinance Bank to provide private school owners access to low-interest loans under the Schools Improvement Loan Scheme (SILS) — a move aimed at boosting educational standards in private institutions.
In the transport and public infrastructure sector, the Alia administration has also revived Benue Links Nigeria Limited, once on the brink of collapse. Mr. Omale Omale, Commissioner for Power, Renewable Energy, and Transport, said the state government halted its sale and instead injected life into it by providing 100 brand-new buses, expanding its services into haulage and water transport, and acquiring a permanent terminal in Abuja.
“Benue Links was in a comatose state. Governor Alia’s intervention saved and transformed it,” said Omale.
Governor Alia’s tenure has been marked by a strong push for accountability, equity, and inclusive development — a shift many describe as a departure from the past and a roadmap to Benue’s full economic revival.
