Benue PDP is at it again and this time around, on its poor attempt at using a broad brush to rubbish Governor Alia by painting him in bad colours and associating the government with an exercise that was strictly initiated and carried out by private donors only with the official assistance of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
The PDP in its feeble attempt at a smear campaign alleged that Governor Alia had doled out measly roofing materials to victims of flooding, a gesture which it hypocritically described as shameful and embarrassing.
But it must be made abundantly clear, for the record, that the PDP in that show of shame only went about in a gleeful spree, showcasing their trademark of callous name-calling.
Governor Alia did not direct SEMA or any agency of government for that matter to donate any relief materials at this time. The whole exercise was organized and executed by private support and donor agencies which wanted to bring succour to victims of flooding.
The exercise was carried out by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) sponsored by the United State Agency for International Development-USAID to cushion the effect of the 2022 flooding in Makurdi.
The construction materials in the picture are for construction of bathrooms, toilets, and other makeshift sheds etc.
Each unit in the picture is made up of four to five Zinc Sheets, eight woods and nails for the purpose mentioned.
SEMA only played a supervisory role in the distribution of the items, since the intervention is directly under its office.
We advise the opposition that if not satisfied with the intervention, they should channel their desperation to IOM and USAID but not SEMA.
Therefore, if not out of pure partisan mischief, where did the PDP get the idea that it was Governor Alia who provided those relief materials? And what in God’s name does the party stand to gain from minimizing or criticizing the efforts of private donors aimed at bringing relief to Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) across the state, instead of commending and complementing them?
In any case, why will a party that only sought to profit from the plight of the IDPs now suddenly begin to act as though it cares for them? Why will a party that did much too little, if anything at all, in alleviating the troubles of the IDPs now turn around to grandstand about their conditions and resettling in their ancestral homes? All things considered, Governor Alia remains focused on real-time solutions to the problems of the IDP crisis and not merely playing to the gallery as it was the won’t of the last PDP-led administration in the state.
And if the PDP must be advised, it would be told that a healthy opposition is done through engaging the government constructively on policy issues and not pandering to petty partisanship.
The public is therefore enjoined to disregard the negative impression being created of the government by the PDP. Governor Alia is poised and committed to delivering good governance to the people of the state and is ever willing to partner with all donor and aid agencies to move the state forward. He will, unlike the PDP, not do anything to shoo away investors or partners who want to help take Benue out of the woods.
Sir Tersoo Kula
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Benue State.
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