The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, was in Kwande, the ancestral home of the Tiv Nation, yesterday for a thanksgiving mass at St. Michael’s Central Church, Jato-Aka, organized by the Turan/Ikyurav-Ya APC family to celebrate his emergence as the Benue APC Governorship Candidate.
The thanksgiving mass also witnessed an intense prayer session for all the APC candidates as it concerns the good people of Kwande, from our presidential candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, governorship candidate Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, senatorial candidate Hon. Barrister Emmanuel Udende, house of representatives candidate Hon. Terseer Ugbor, and our state assembly candidates for Kwande East and West, Hon. Samuel Matu and Pharm. Dugeri Thomas Terzungwe, respectively, to emerge victorious in the forthcoming general elections.
In a thought-provoking homily during the Thanksgiving Mass that also marked the Solemnity of Christ the King, the officiating priest, Rev. Fr. Linus Huabo, summoned the congregation to strive to have a Christian perspective on leadership, adding that greatness in leadership is not defined by how many people you have around you, but by how consistently and significantly you are led by the Holy Spirit to make personal sacrifices to serve the true needs of the people.
He warned the people against the campaign of calumny that characterizes today’s politics, saying leadership is from God, and if God wills that someone becomes a leader, no amount of propaganda or insults would stop them.
Shortly after the thanksgiving mass on Sunday, Fr. Alia spoke at the venue of the reception, held at RCM Primary School in Jato-Aka, Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.
Fr. Alia was quoted as saying “that the APC will bring prosperity and economic development to the good people of Kwande, Benue, and the country at large when elected as the next executive governor of Benue State under a Tinubu presidency.
He highlighted the importance of connecting with the central government in order to bring about the desired progressive change and dividends of democracy, urging the people of Benue to vote Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for president under the platform of the APC, saying that such action is required because it will facilitate the prompt delivery of his campaign promises.”
“I will fulfill my campaign promises to you, the good people of Kwande. You are the future of our dear state, and I am aware of your numerous challenges and predicament at the moment, but there is hope. Benue State has not made any meaningful progress in recent times because Kwande, the ancestral home of the Tiv nation, has been neglected for too long, but hope, prosperity, and economic development are on the way. “Your dreams and aspirations will be realized for a stable, prosperous, and united Benue State,” Alia told the mammoth crowd present at the event.
He accused the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of under-developing Benue State, stressing that the PDP-led administration does not care about the welfare of the Benue people.
“The current government of the PDP in Benue State has diverted almost all the funds available for the development of our dear state under their watch for personal aggrandizement in the form of luxury cars, mansions, and private industries.” Do they care for the suffering masses at all? “Will you still vote for them to continue looting your resources?” he asked, as the large crowd unanimously chanted “no, no, no!”
Thereafter, Fr. Alia received and welcomed thousands of PDP members and other political parties who defected to our great party, the APC, yesterday. He assured them of fair and equal treatment, praising their wise decision to dump darkness (PDP) for light (APC).
Fr. Alia was not the only personality who spoke at the occasion. The Benue APC Chairman, Comrade Austin Agada, also decried the poor performance of the Governor Samuel Ortom-led administration, pointing out the high level of insecurity in the state, nonpayment of salaries and pensions, deplorable infrastructure, underemployment, high poverty rate, and unemployment as legacies of the PDP government, and called on the people to vote for the APC candidates from top to bottom for a greater Benue State.
The event also witnessed the adornment of the incoming governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, and other prominent personalities in Tiv traditional apparel.
Several chieftains of the APC attended the event at the ancestral home of the Tiv Nation. Hon. Sam Ode, the party’s deputy governorship candidate; Director General of the Alia/Ode 2023 Governorship Campaign Council; Rev. Pastor Fredrick Ikyaan, former House of Representatives member for Vandeikya/Konshisha; Hon. Mrs. Dorathy Mato; former 2023 governorship aspirants Hon. Silas Akosu and Hon. Nick Wende; Hon. Mrs. Helen Bendega, Elder James Iyorpuu, Gen. Malu Godwin, Hon. Fidelis Unongo, Hon. Cephas Adom, Hon. Moses Mkeenem.
Others at the event were notable members of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, the Deputy Director of Grassroots Engagement and Orientation (North Central), Hon. Terlumun Akputu JP, and the Director, National Youth Mobilization (North Central), Hon. Mike Msuaan, amongst others.
