A heated verbal exchange has erupted between Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, and Prof. Dennis Ityavyar, former Commissioner for Education under ex-Governor Samuel Ortom, over the current state of governance in the state.
Prof. Ityavyar, a close ally of Ortom, accused Governor Alia of poor leadership, alleging that his administration lacks transparency, inclusiveness, and responsiveness. He criticized the governor’s handling of security, budget transparency, and project execution, describing Alia as “a monumental disaster to the state” with no capacity to lead in 2027.
“Alia is a good priest but not good in governance,” Ityavyar said. “He does not know what to do. Development is about the people. A governor should be accessible and in touch with the people. Power belongs to the people.”
He faulted the governor for failing to disclose the state’s federal allocations, Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), and wage bill since assuming office.
In a swift rebuttal, Governor Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, dismissed the criticisms as hypocritical and baseless. He accused Ortom and his former appointee of trying to derail a focused administration committed to reforms and development.
“These attacks are coming from individuals who recklessly plundered the state,” Kula said. “Criticism from people whose time in office was marked by corruption, abuse of process, and mismanagement rings hollow.”
Alia’s camp further accused Prof. Ityavyar of presiding over the collapse of the education sector, citing alleged scholarship fraud, illegal levies, and the near-total collapse of the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Makurdi during his tenure.
Highlighting the achievements of the current administration, Kula noted the establishment of the Benue State University of Science and Technology in Ihugh, complete with full approvals, licenses, and funding. He also referenced the payment of 38 months of earned allowances to tertiary institution staff and the resolution of longstanding industrial disputes.
According to him, over 9,700 teachers have been recruited, 16 government secondary schools are undergoing rehabilitation, and 225 primary schools have been renovated or completely rebuilt, some featuring multi-storey classroom blocks for the first time in the state’s history.
He revealed that a forensic audit has uncovered significant financial irregularities under the previous administration, with investigations ongoing.
“My government will not be blackmailed into silence. I am focused, and my eyes are on the ball,” Governor Alia declared.
