Gov Alia Should Be Ashamed Of Himself 

Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, the governor of Benue State, last week must have disappointed those who have always argued that politics should not be left to professional politicians alone. It’s because our politicians have always fallen short when it comes to matters of civility, good moral conduct, respect for the rule of law, uprightness, accountability, and good governance; that’s why our polity and the nation have remained regressive.

Added to the abysmal performance of our political office holders is also their preparedness to set the entire nation ablaze just to protect their selfish interests. To them, nothing else is more important than securing their place in office, by hook or by crook.

For four consecutive weeks, we have lamented the intemperate rhetoric and outright call to violence and murder by politicians and political appointees just for self-preservation and pecuniary interests.

Last week, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, was in Benue on a visit but was prevented from entering the state by some hoodlums, apparently organised by the state government.

This shameful conduct is unprecedented. For whatever reason, no law-abiding citizen should be denied entry into any state so long as that citizen is not found or known to have broken any law. Every Nigerian enjoys the inalienable freedom to live or visit any part of the country. This right cannot be denied any Nigerian as long as such a fellow lives within the ambit of the law.

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The hooligans organised by the Benue State government have only succeeded in exposing the calibre of people that make up the government of Governor Alia.

A government, for political correctness, has allowed open grazing of cattle on the streets of Benue and has remained numb to the massacre of its people, can now organise political thugs and hoodlums to embarrass a former governor all in the name of politics.

According to the report, the obviously hired hooligans blocked the Makurdi/Gboko Road, hindering Obi from entering Makurdi.

Obi was on his way to Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area (LGA), to visit the community that suffered armed herdsmen attack last year, where about 200 persons were killed.

Following the incident, the NDC presidential candidate had no option but to return to the airport and flew out of the state.

Obi described the incident as “ridiculous,” saying it was worrisome if one could not move about freely in a country of his own.

“We arrived in Benue, Makurdi, precisely this morning at 9 a.m., on our way to the Yelewata Community to condole and show solidarity to the families affected by last year’s killings.

“As you know, there have been killings of over 270 persons in that community, and I felt that as we were starting our campaign, I should go around and be able to visit and condole with the families, show respect to the dead and the community, and support them in any way I can.

“Only to arrive in Makurdi this morning and try to drive out, I was blocked by thugs, shouting ‘Obi go back, Obi go back.’ And I was wondering, are we still in Nigeria? Or am I in another country?

“But we know that even the campaigns have started, so I should be able to move around freely. But I discontinued because I didn’t want to say we must go on as we have our own teeming crowd, but not wanting to cause confusion and possibly endanger the lives of other people. I decided to remain as civil as possible.

“I am not here to contest elections for office of the Governor of Benue State. I have chosen as a presidential candidate that I want to visit every community across Nigeria, which is what I’m urging other presidential candidates to do.

“I have been governor myself. I know that this cannot happen without the government and security agencies in this state being fully aware that I am here. I was governor for eight years, and I know the system very well. And this couldn’t have happened while I was there. Even if it happens, I will intervene,” he said.

“I am using this occasion to appeal to the security agencies, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, the Director of DSS and other agencies to please intervene and be able to call various state governors to order. This rascality cannot be allowed,” he said.

That there was no loss of lives last week was due largely to the maturity exhibited by the NDC presidential candidate.

If you are still in doubt as to the fact that the state government was behind this shameful conduct, after reading the comments from the state Commissioner for Information and the state police Commissioner, you will understand why people say it’s the worst of us that are ruling the best of us.

The supposed Commissioner for Information, Solomon Iorpev, when contacted, said, “…Since the NDC presidential candidate did not inform the state government of his visit, the government could not guarantee his safety.

“A high-profile person who has been a former Governor of a state is coming into the state; he should have written a letter to the State Government. We are supposed to guarantee his safety and protection, but in an instance where no letter was written, we could not guarantee his safety.

“This is not the first time he is doing this. He is just looking for our trouble. We are peace-loving and hospitable people.”

Yes, there are lots of peace-loving people in Benue, but this appears more like gibberish coming from a political thug.

On whether he was aware of those who perpetrated the act, the commissioner said he wasn’t aware.

He said, “There is supposed to be a meeting of youths from the 23 local government areas of the state so if they were coming from either Tarka, Gboko, Buruku, Ushongo, Konshisha, or Vandeikya at the same time of his visit and blocked the road, it is unfortunate. I do not know the youths who did that.”

This response is no different from the same threat and reaction of the Edo State government when Obi visited Edo while still with the ADC.

Thank God for a more mature and temperate police commissioner who apparently knows his onions, and whose response tells a story of how lucky I think this nation is to have him in the police.

Alia and his gang of unruly political class should take a lesson or two in civility, rule of law, and temperate public behaviour from this police commissioner.

The Benue State, Cletus Nwadiogbu, in his reaction, confirmed the incident and also confirmed that the police were duly informed of Obi’s visit.

Hear him: “Yesterday (Monday) night, we got information that his Excellency, former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, will be coming; not for campaign but just to visit Yelewata. I said, it’s okay. Everybody has freedom of movement in Nigeria. So I provided security.

“I also asked the AC (Assistant Commissioner of Police) Operation to personally lead the men. But unfortunately, on his arrival, we heard that some youth blocked the road because they didn’t want to see him. That is the reason we are going in to find out why such conduct occurred, why the youth behaved that way.

“We have tactically managed the situation for now, but we are not letting it go. We must get to the bottom of it, to know why the youths said somebody can not move.”

Nwadiogbu also said: “He (Obi) is a very responsible man. He heard that the youth blocked the road, and I learned he went back and left.

“There was no destruction. There’s no violence.”

Thank God the police commissioner knows this. Only the Benue State government was too dumb to know this simple truism.

As a Nigerian who has always advocated a peaceful, free, and fair democratic process devoid of violence and bloodshed, I personally think Gov. Alia is not fit to hold public office and should be voted out. And as a Catholic who has no other choice but Catholicism, Alia shouldn’t be allowed back as a priest of God, because he simply lacks the moral rectitude to lead the flock. He has lost a golden opportunity to teach professional politicians how to uphold good moral rectitude, civility, respect for the rule of law, and propagation of politics without rancour, bitterness, or violence.

What a shame!