Gov Alia Lauds Tinubu’s Palliative Gestures, Moves to Address Insecurity

*Pledges to offset N359bn salaries, allowances owed workersDeji Elumoye in Abuja

Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has commended the federal government for the inclusion of Benue in the recent palliatives and other interventions, as well as concerted efforts at addressing the security challenges facing the state.

Addressing newsmen weekend at the State House, Abuja, after meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Alia said the gesture had been helpful, especially given the prevailing dire straits in terms of meeting sundry obligations to the people and tackling the challenge of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) prevalent in the state.
He said, “Lots of the support we’re gaining from the federal government. It is our hope that this will continue. That has been very, very helpful. Insecurity in the past was something of trouble. But, we are pleased to know that so much work has been done and relative peace has returned to the state and I will continue to do the work.

“Our aim being that we want to get all the IDPs back home to their ancestral homes and ancestral farm lands. Before may 29, It was very impossible for the IDPs to get back to their ancestral places, even to farm this current season they were able to go back and do this.

“However, we still have skirmishes of it. All the other security apparatuses are on it and are helping so much. So, it remains our firm hope and resolution that we’ll get them back to their ancestor homes. And we cannot thank the federal government enough for assisting us by all ramifications for us to be able to achieve this.

“We have to thank the President for taking care of the federal roads in the state. All the federal roads that cut across the state you know, were awarded and for renovation and I’m happy he took the step in that direction even before I came to plead for further support in that direction.”

The governor has also promised to facilitate uninterrupted payments of their backlog of monthly salaries, arrears and other sundry entitlement owed them by past administrations.

Alia, who decried the N359 billion wage bill his administration inherited, described the development as a dent to his government in the state.