Solomon Iorpev

Technical Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication|DG, Benue State Signage & Advertisement Agency

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

This is the official X handle of the Technical Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Media, Publicity, and Strategic Communication.

Kindly Follow @IorpevSol for up-to-date information on the activities, news, programs and official statements of His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, the Executive Governor of Benue State.

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

GOVERNOR ALIA SIGNS BENUE STATE ELECTRICITY BILL INTO LAW

Monday, 08/06/2026

The Executive Governor of Benue State, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has signed the Benue State Electricity Bill into law, describing the legislation as a landmark step towards accelerating economic growth, improving power supply, and creating sustainable development opportunities across the state.

Governor Alia, while assenting to the bill, commended the Benue State House of Assembly for the timely passage of the legislation, noting that the new electricity law would open up the power sector for increased investment, promote competition, enhance consumer protection, and expand access to electricity for underserved communities across the state.

The new law is expected to significantly boost businesses, stimulate industrial growth, create employment opportunities, and improve service delivery in both urban and rural communities. It will also strengthen collaboration between electricity providers and consumers while increasing investor confidence in the state’s energy sector.

The Governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to creating an enabling environment for investment and sustainable development, stressing that Benue State must continue to embrace policies that deliver measurable progress and long-term benefits for its people. He noted that although the legislation ought to have been enacted years ago, his administration remains determined to break bureaucratic bottlenecks and move the state forward.

Governor Alia further called on citizens to remain ambassadors of positive change and support the administration’s development agenda, adding that despite Benue State’s 50-year history, there is renewed determination under his leadership to build lasting achievements that future generations will be proud of. He assured the people that significant progress has already been made, with more transformative initiatives underway.

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

GOV ALIA INSPECTS BENSONO CONCENTRATE PLANT, BENVA JUICE FACTORY, AND BIPC MOTORCYCLE ASSEMBLY PLANT AHEAD OF OFFICIAL COMMISSIONING

The Executive Governor of Benue State, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has expressed satisfaction with the level of completion and operational readiness of the Bensono Concentrate Plant, Benva Juice Factory, and the BIPC Motorcycle Assembly Plant in Makurdi ahead of their official commissioning.

During an inspection tour of the facilities, Governor Alia described the projects as critical components of his administration’s industrialisation and economic transformation agenda aimed at repositioning Benue State as a major hub for agro-processing, manufacturing, and value addition. The Governor noted that the projects would play a significant role in driving economic growth, creating employment opportunities, and strengthening the state’s industrial base.

Governor Alia stated that the establishment of the Bensono Concentrate Plant and Benva Juice Factory would significantly address the challenge of post-harvest losses affecting farmers across the state by providing sustainable markets for locally produced fruits and agricultural produce. He emphasized that the factories would improve farmers’ incomes, stimulate activities across the agricultural value chain, and ensure that economic value derived from Benue’s agricultural resources remains within the state.

The Governor also inspected 525 motorcycles assembled under a partnership arrangement between the Benue State Government and a Chinese manufacturing company, an initiative facilitated during the administration’s investment mission to the People’s Republic of China in 2024.

The Governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to attracting investments, promoting local production, increasing internally generated revenue, and unlocking the vast agricultural and industrial potential of Benue State.

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

REJOINDER: ALIA IS NOT APC’S ALBATROSS, HE IS INFACT, ITS REDEMPTION

Thursday 04/06/2026

Politics may be full of ironies, but it is also full of revisionism.

The piece _“Benue APC at a Crossroads: Is Alia the party’s albatross?”_ published by James Ibechi today, June 4, 2026, is a classic case. It mistakes firm leadership for political inexperience, and it confuses party capture by entrenched interests with party accommodation. Permit me, Mr James Ibechi to set the records straight for you. And I’ll be brief and straight to the points!

1. The Real Irony: Calling Reform an Albatross!!
Three years ago, if you recall, Benue APC was not “celebrating an impossible victory.” It was celebrating a rescue. Benue people did not vote APC because of zoning arrangements or godfathers. They voted for Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia because they were tired of a party that won elections and lost governance.

So to now argue that the same Alia who gave APC its first genuine grassroots mandate in years is the party’s “albatross” is the real irony. The albatross was the old order, the culture of sharing public office like spoils of war while salaries went unpaid and IDPs multiplied. Alia came to kill that albatross, not wear it.

2. Politics Is Accommodation, Yes. But Not Accomplice!!
Critics say “politics is about managing interests” and that “everyone must get a piece of the meat.” True. But when the “meat” is the destiny of 6 million people, a leader must decide: Do you slice it for party warlords, or do you preserve it for the people?

Governor Alia chose the people.
Truth is, the much-referenced “60-40 formula” was never a constitutional provision, nor was it in the APC constitution. It was a private entitlement script written by men who believe the state exists to service their political structures. Alia refused to align with it. That is not inexperience. That is courage.

Since 1999, Benue has tested the politics of accommodation. What did it produce? 74 months of salary arrears. Collapsed schools. Rural banditry. A state where party elders were billionaires and teachers were beggars. If that is the accommodation critics want, then Alia is guilty of rejecting it. And Benue is better for it.

3. Primaries: Democracy, Not Allocation!!
The article Ibechi wrote laments that 16 lawmakers of the state assembly “considered loyal to the governor secured return tickets” while others “were shown the exit door.” This is a deliberate misreading of democracy.

Primaries are contests, not allocations. Delegates vote. The most popular aspirant wins. If 16 serving lawmakers won, it means they retained the confidence of their constituents. Should Alia have imposed unpopular candidates to satisfy a sharing formula? That would be the real anti-party activity.

Those who lost are “still serving lawmakers” and “influential political actors,” we are told. Indeed they are. And in three years, none of them has been stopped from executing constituency projects, sponsoring bills, or serving their people. What they lost was a ticket, not their relevance. If they choose to take grievances to court, that is their right. But to blame Alia for their defeat is to admit that they expected him to rig primaries on their behalf. He refused. That is not a weakness. It is a legacy.

4. The Austin Agada vs Benjamin Omale Litigation: Who Created the Crisis?
Let us be honest about the genesis. The leadership issues predates Alia’s inauguration. It is a product of years of congresses without consequences, where party offices were traded like commodities. The court cases cited were filed by aggrieved stakeholders long before the last primaries.

To now hang the litigation around Alia’s neck is dishonest. He met a burning house. He has chosen to pull people out of the fire rather than argue about who holds the title to the ashes. If APC is in court, it is because some people believe they own the party more than the people do. Alia believes the party belongs to Benue voters. That is the difference.

5. Performance Is the Best Politics
James Ibechi’s piece claims “governance may be about performance, but politics is about managing interests.” This is the false binary that killed Benue. The two are not separate.

In three years, Alia has cleared salary and pension arrears that his predecessors called impossible. He has created the environment for several IDPs to return and many have returned home. He has raised Internally Generated Revenue IGR in the state without new taxes. He has built 300km of rural roads, 274km of urban road networks renovated 276 PHCs, and recruited over 9,000 teachers for basic education, etc.

That my friend is politics!!! Because every civil servant paid on or before the 25th is a voter. Every farmer who uses the new Lessel-Ihugh road or buys farm inputs at subsidized rates is a party agent. Every mother who delivers safely in a renovated PHC is a stakeholder. The old politics shared tickets. Alia’s politics shares development. Let Benue people judge which is superior.

6. The Myth of the Greenhorn.
This one really makes me laugh. To call a man who managed the largest Catholic diocesan congregation in Nigeria, who built schools, hospitals, and water projects without federal allocation, a “political greenhorn” is really laughable.

Alia’s inexperience is only in one area: he is inexperienced in looting. He is inexperienced in awarding contracts to cronies. He is inexperienced in running government as a family business.

If that is the experience critics want, then Benue will take a “greenhorn” every day. Because his so-called inexperience has done in 3 years what decades of “experience” could not do.

7. 2027: APC’s Strength Is Alia, Not Its Weakness!!
The doomsday scenario painted — that “APC may not field candidates in 2027” — is fear-mongering. The Electoral Act and INEC guidelines are clear. The party conducted valid primaries, monitored by INEC and NWC committees. The courts will decide disputes on facts, not sentiments.

But even if we play that game: who gives APC the best chance in 2027? The men in court fighting over party office, or the man commissioning projects across LGAs? The answer is obvious to every Benue man on the street.

Alia is not APC’s albatross. He is the reason APC is still credible in Benue. Remove him, and the party returns to 2015: “a party that wins court cases but loses polling units “.

In Conclusion my dear friend Ibechi, I wan to categorically say that history will be kind to the Priest who refused to bow, believe me. In Nigerian politics, it is easy to win today and lose tomorrow, we are told. True. But it is easier to lose today, tomorrow, and forever when you sell your tomorrow to keep yesterday’s warlords happy.

Governor Alia has chosen the harder path: to be a governor first, and a politician second. He has chosen to build a party on performance, not patronage.

That is not an albatross. That is an anchor. And Benue, for the first time in a long time, is no longer drifting.

Those who think Alia has “nobody left to stand with him” should visit any market in Makurdi, any place in Zaki-Biam, any IDP camp in Guma. He is standing with the people. And in 2027, the people will stand with him.

That is the only accommodation that matters.

The Alia the better!!

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication .

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

GOVERNOR ALIA FLAGS OFF 2026 CROPPING SEASON, UNVEILS SUBSIDIZED FERTILIZER PROGRAMME FOR BENUE FARMERS

04/06/2026

The Executive Governor of Benue State, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has reaffirmed his administration’s unwavering commitment to repositioning agriculture as the cornerstone of Benue State’s economy, declaring that the state must sustain its leadership in food production within Nigeria and the North Central region.

Speaking during the official flag-off ceremony of the 2026 cropping season and distribution of farm inputs held in Makurdi, Governor Alia stated that the initiative represents more than a ceremonial exercise, describing it as a strategic intervention aimed at strengthening food security, empowering rural farmers, boosting agricultural productivity, and driving sustainable economic growth across the state.

In a major relief effort for farmers, the Governor announced that his administration would make subsidized fertilizer available at the rate of ₦28,000 per bag, despite prevailing market prices of between ₦60,000 and ₦62,000 in several states across the country. He explained that the subsidy programme was designed to reduce the burden on farmers, encourage large-scale cultivation, and improve food production throughout the state.

Governor Alia further disclosed that his administration is investing significantly in improved seedlings, irrigation systems, agro-processing facilities, storage infrastructure, and rural access roads linking farming communities. He also revealed ongoing efforts to revive key agricultural processing industries, including yam and citrus processing factories, as part of the government’s broader agricultural industrialization agenda.

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

GOVERNOR ALIA APPOINTS DR. IHU EUNICE OGBENYI ACTING HEAD OF SERVICE

Wednesday, 3/6/2026

Governor Hyacinth Alia has approved the appointment of Dr. Ihu Eunice Ogbenyi as Acting Head of Service of Benue State.

The appointment follows the unfortunate demise of Dr. Agbogbo Ode, who served as Head of Service from 2023 to 2026.

Dr. Ogbenyi, from Oju Local Government Area, was born on June 12, 1973. Until her appointment, she served as Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Survey.

She holds a Nigeria Certificate in Education in Mathematics/Physics from the College of Education, Oju, obtained in 1996. She earned a https://t.co/EJTmtw0p0d. in 2005, M.Ed. in 2010, and Ph.D. in 2021, all in Mathematics Education, from Rev. Fr. Moses Adasu University, Makurdi.

Dr. Ogbenyi joined the Benue State Teaching Service Board in 1998 as Principal Assistant Education Officer II. Her service was transferred to the Ministry of Education in February 2012. She later served as Deputy Director, Education in the Department of Planning, Research and Statistics, where she headed the Joint Consultative Committee on Education/National Council on Education unit and was Assistant Head of the Education Management Information System unit.

While congratulating the Acting Head of Service, Governor Alia directed her to ensure continuity, professionalism, and service delivery in the civil service. He charged her to align all official actions with the vision and principles of the administration, sustain ongoing civil service reforms, and uphold the sanctity and dignity of the office at all times.

The Governor further directed that the interest of the state must remain paramount in all official dealings.

The appointment takes immediate effect.

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

GOV. ALIA SWEARS IN NEW HIGH COURT JUDGE, PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR JUDICIARY

Wednesday, 3/6/2026

The Executive Governor Of Benue State, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia has sworn in Hon. Justice Christine Terlumun Clement Ende as a Judge of the Benue State High Court.

Speaking at the ceremony held today at the Old Banquet Hall, Government House in Makurdi, Governor Alia said the appointment is a significant milestone for justice administration in the state and recognizes Justice Ende’s distinguished career of over three decades in legal practice, judicial administration, human rights advocacy, and public service.

The Governor noted that Justice Ende previously served at African Bank Plc, the National Human Rights Commission, and as Deputy Chief Registrar and Admiralty Marshal of the Federal High Court.

Her appointment increases the number of High Court Judges in Benue from 32 to 33 and raises the number of female judges from 13 to 14. Governor Alia said this reflects his administration’s commitment to inclusivity, equal opportunity, and women’s advancement in leadership under its HE for SHE philosophy.

He urged the new judge to uphold the Constitution and discharge her duties with integrity, independence, courage, and fairness.

Governor Alia commended the National Judicial Council, the Judicial Service Commission, and the Benue State Judiciary for their roles in the appointment. He reaffirmed government’s continued support for the judiciary to strengthen justice delivery and the rule of law.

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

It’s been 51 years and I’m very grateful to God for His mercies that are new every morning. It’s been God all the way!!

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

THREE YEARS OF PURPOSEFUL, INTENTIONAL AND TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP OF GOVERNOR HYACINTH IORMEM ALIA

FRIDAY, 29/05/2026

When Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia took the oath of office on May 29, 2023, as the sixth democratically elected Governor of Benue State, he inherited more than just the keys to Government House, he also inherited a state fatigued by insecurity, stalled by unpaid salaries, and yearning for a new kind of leadership. Three years later, the verdict across the Food Basket of the Nation is settling into three words: purposeful, intentional, and transformative.

I. PURPOSE: THE CLERGYMAN WHO CHOSE THE ARENA

Leadership begins with why, and for Governor Alia, the purpose was never in doubt. He campaigned on a simple premise: Benue needed healing, not just spiritual healing from the pulpit, but economic, administrative, and social healing from the seat of government.

Benue in May 2023 was a state where civil servants marked calendars by unpaid salary arrears. Pensioners died in queues. Rural communities were ghost towns, displaced by years of farmer-herder conflict. Schools and hospitals were shells of their former selves. The social contract had frayed.

Governor Alia’s purpose was to restore that contract. He framed his administration around seven priority pillars:

• Security

• Agriculture and Rural Development

• Commerce and Industry

• Human Capital Development

• Infrastructure

• ICT/Digital Economy

• Governance Reform

But beyond policy documents, his purpose was personal. As a priest who had spent decades listening to the poor, he came to power with a bias for the vulnerable.

That purpose showed up first in payroll. Within his first 100 days, the Alia administration cleared months of salary and pension arrears that had lingered for years. For teachers, nurses, and local government workers, the alert tone on their phones became the first sermon of the new government: a government that pays. By year three, the state had moved from backlog to a consistent salary schedule, with civil servants now receiving pay before the 25th of every month. Purpose, for Alia, meant dignity restored through wages earned.

II. INTENTION: GOVERNING BY DESIGN, NOT DEFAULT

If purpose is the why, intention is the how. And in three years, Governor Alia has demonstrated that he is not governing by accident or reaction. Every major policy has carried the fingerprint of design.

Security: From Reaction to Architecture
Benue sits in Nigeria’s Middle Belt, and for over a decade, it was the epicenter of violent conflict. Alia’s intention was not to merely deploy security forces after attacks, but to build a security architecture that prevents them.

The administration launched Operation Ayem A Kpatuma II and deepened collaboration with the military and local vigilantes. But more critically, it established the Benue State Bureau of Homeland Security, creating a framework for intelligence gathering and rapid response at the community level. The result has been measurable: dozens of displaced communities in Guma, Logo, and Kwande have begun returning home after years in IDP camps. The governor’s monthly security vote is now publicly tied to community policing equipment, communication gadgets, and logistics, not shrouded in secrecy. Intention meant turning security from a slogan into a system.

Agriculture: From Food Basket to Agribusiness Hub
Benue’s identity is agriculture, but for years it exported raw produce and imported poverty. Governor Alia’s intention was to move the state up the value chain.

In three years, his government has distributed over 500,000 improved seedlings, facilitated tractors for mechanized farming, and reopened the Benue Tractor Hiring Agency. The state partnered with the Federal Government and private investors to revive the Taraku Mills and establish new agro-processing zones for soybeans, rice, and yams. The Bureau of Agricultural Development and Mechanization was created to end the era of hoes and cutlasses.

The intention is clear: Benue must not just feed Nigeria, it must profit from feeding Nigeria. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture shows a 40% increase in dry-season farming participation since 2023, driven by the governor’s direct input support to real farmers, not political farmers.

Infrastructure: Connecting a State Back to Itself
For years, “rural-urban migration” in Benue was forced by bad roads. A farmer in Vandeikya couldn’t get yams to Makurdi without losing half to spoilage. Alia’s intention was to reconnect Benue to itself.

The urban renewal of Makurdi, Gboko, and Otukpo is visible. But the real story is rural. The administration has constructed and rehabilitated over 300km of rural roads in three years, including the Awajir-Oju road, the Lessel-Ihugh-Tse-Mker road, and the ongoing Zaki-Biam-Afia-Gbeji road. These are not political roads. They are economic roads, designed to move produce, not just politicians.

In Makurdi, the underpass at High Level and the rehabilitation of major arteries have reduced traffic time by 60%. Streetlights have returned. The intention is that a state capital should look like one.

Human Capital: Health and Education as Infrastructure
A transformative leader knows that bridges and roads mean little if the people are sick and uneducated.

In health, the Alia administration has renovated and equipped 276 primary healthcare centers across the 23 LGAs under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund. The Benue State University Teaching Hospital received a new MRI machine, dialysis center, and oxygen plant. More than 10,000 households have been enrolled in the Benue State Health Insurance Scheme, with premiums subsidized for the vulnerable.

In education, the story is similar. Over 9,000 teachers were recruited in 2024 to address the teacher-pupil ratio. The government cleared counterpart funding for UBEC, unlocking billions for classroom construction. The School of Nursing and Midwifery, Makurdi, and College of Health Technology, Agasha, have been upgraded. Intention here meant treating human capital as the most critical infrastructure.

Governance: The Death of “Business as Usual”
Perhaps the most intentional shift has been in governance itself. Governor Alia introduced the Benue Geographical Information System [BENGIS] to digitize land administration, blocking leakages and raising IGR. The Treasury Single Account was enforced, and the state’s IGR rose from N1.2 billion monthly in 2023 to over N3.8 billion monthly by mid-2026, without introducing new taxes.

The Civil Service was audited, ghost workers flushed out, and promotion arrears paid. E-governance platforms now allow citizens to track projects. Intention meant running government like a system, not a bazaar.

III. TRANSFORMATION: THE BENUE THAT IS EMERGING

Purpose and intention mean nothing if they do not produce transformation. After three years, the transformation is not in speeches. It is in data, in streets, and in stories.

Economic Transformation:
Benue has moved from a salary-dependent economy to one seeing private capital return. The Makurdi Industrial Layout is being reactivated. The Alia administration has signed MoUs for a $2.5 billion investment in biofuel and ethanol from cassava. The Benue Investment and Property Company [BIPC] has been repositioned, and the state hosted its first Benue Economic Summit in 2025, attracting investors from across Nigeria and the diaspora. Unemployment figures from the NBS show a 7% drop in Benue’s youth unemployment between Q2 2023 and Q1 2026.

Social Transformation:
IDP return is the most human face of this transformation. As of May 2026, over 180,000 displaced persons have returned to their ancestral homes in Guma, Makurdi, Logo, and Kwande LGAs, supported by the state’s resettlement program. Schools have reopened in communities that were silent for five years. Markets are back. That is transformation you can touch.

Political Transformation:
Governor Alia has redefined political engagement in Benue. He has kept a deliberate distance from political godfatherism, insisting that his only godfather is the Benue people. His monthly media chat, “Alia Speaks,” has created a direct line between the governor and citizens. For the first time in years, a governor’s approval rating is driven by project delivery, not ethnic sentiment.

Institutional Transformation:
The Benue State House of Assembly has passed 21 executive bills in three years, including the Benue State Bureau of Public Procurement Law, the Benue State Disability Rights Law, and the Benue State Electricity Law. These are not laws for headlines. They are laws for structure. They mean the transformation will outlive the transformer.

THE ROAD AHEAD: YEAR FOUR AND BEYOND

To be purposeful for three years is commendable. To remain purposeful for four, five, or eight is legacy. Governor Alia’s third anniversary comes at a midpoint. The foundations have been laid, but the real test of transformation is sustainability.

The challenges remain. Security, though improved, is not yet total. Federal allocations still dictate the pace of development. The wage bill remains heavy. And political opposition, both within and outside his party, is recalibrating.

But if the first three years have shown anything, it is this: Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia did not come to occupy an office. He came to discharge a purpose. He has not governed by impulse. He has governed by intention. And Benue, slowly but visibly, is being transformed.

Three years ago, he asked Benue to believe. Today, Benue is beginning to see.

The priest who entered the arena is still wearing the collar. But now, it is stained not just with anointing oil, but with the dust of roads built, the chalk of schools renovated, and the sweat of a state being rebuilt.

That is purposeful leadership. That is intentional governance. That is transformation in motion.

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication.

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

ALIAS’S N150M SCHOOL GRANT AND MOTORCYCLES: LAYING A STRONGER FOUNDATION FOR BASIC EDUCATION IN BENUE, IN LINE WITH THE RENEWED HOPE AGENDA OF PRESIDENT BOLA AHMED TINUBU, GCFR

How Direct School Funding and Mobility for Quality Assurance Officers Target the Weak Links in Learning Delivery.

By Solomon Iorpev

A few days ago, the Executive Governor of Benue State, His Excellency Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, launched a N150 million School Grant Scheme aimed at strengthening public school administration and improving learning conditions across the state.

The program was inaugurated at the headquarters of the Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in Makurdi. It featured the distribution of motorcycles to Quality Assurance Officers across the 23 local government areas to enhance effective school monitoring, especially in rural communities.

The Governor, represented at the event by his able Deputy, His Excellency Barr. Dr. Sam Ode, mni, described education as the most valuable investment any government can make.

Today I want to draw our attention to the essence of this noble program beginning with the School Grant Scheme.

For years, public primary and junior secondary schools in Benue have operated without predictable running costs. Headteachers and principals often relied on levies from parents or personal funds to buy chalk, print continuous assessment booklets, provide first aid, pay utility bills, or fix broken desks. This eroded the policy of free basic education and created disparities between schools.

The N50,000 monthly grant to every headmaster and principal changes that equation. By directly funding routine school operations, the scheme does three things:

• Restores dignity to free education: It removes the pressure on school heads to impose illegal charges, aligning practice with the state’s free and compulsory basic education policy.

• Improves learning environment: Timely purchase of stationery, CA materials, and minor repairs means fewer lost teaching hours and safer classrooms.

• Decentralizes accountability: Funds go straight to school managers, with clear expenditure lines. This reduces bureaucratic delays and places responsibility for basic upkeep at the school level.

Anchored on the World Bank-supported HOPE Education Grant, the scheme also signals that Benue is leveraging external partnerships to institutionalize reform, not just run one-off interventions.

2. Why Motorcycles for Quality Assurance Officers Matter

Supervision has been the weakest link in rural education delivery. Quality Assurance Officers are mandated to monitor teaching standards, curriculum coverage, and infrastructure, but many lack mobility to reach hard-to-access schools. The result is irregular visits, poor data, and limited enforcement of standards.

Distributing motorcycles to QAOs in all 23 LGAs is therefore not a welfare gesture. It is an investment in accountability:

• Closes the monitoring gap: Officers can now conduct regular, unannounced visits to schools in remote wards, ensuring compliance with teaching hours and proper use of the new grants.

• Improves data and feedback: Consistent school visits generate real-time information for SUBEB and the Ministry of Education to respond to challenges quickly.

• Deters neglect: The knowledge that supervisors can arrive at any school, any day, strengthens adherence to standards by both teachers and administrators.

3. How These Efforts Build a Stronger Foundation Going Forward

Education reform fails when it focuses only on buildings or enrollment without addressing systems. Governor Alia’s twin intervention targets the management system of basic education.

First, it creates operational stability. Schools with running funds and consistent supervision retain teachers better, reduce absenteeism, and deliver the curriculum more effectively. For a child in Primary One, that means fewer days without a teacher and access to textbooks and assessment.

Second, it builds public trust. When parents see that schools no longer demand illegal levies and that government officials regularly visit, confidence in public education rises. This is critical for enrollment and retention, especially for girls and children from low-income homes.

Third, it sets a template for sustainability. By tying the grant to HOPE and embedding mobility for QAOs, the state is creating structures that can outlast a single budget cycle. Future administrations will inherit schools with accounts, expenditure guidelines, and a supervision network that reaches the last mile.

The Importance of the Governor’s Intervention

In a state where education indicators have lagged due to years of underfunding and weak oversight, these steps are foundational, not cosmetic. Governor Alia is treating basic education as the core infrastructure of development.

The N150 million scheme and motorcycles will not solve every problem in Benue’s education sector. But they attack the root causes of poor learning outcomes: schools that cannot function day-to-day, and a supervision system that cannot see. By funding administration and enabling oversight, the government is giving teachers the tools to teach and pupils the environment to learn.

If sustained and protected from abuse, these efforts will ensure that the free education policy is not just on paper, but in practice. That is how stronger foundations are laid — one functional school, one supervised classroom at a time.

Chief Solomon Iorpev is the Technical Adviser to the Governor of Benue State on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication.

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

HIS EXCELLENCY, REV. FR. DR. HYACINTH IORMEM ALIA STANDS VINDICATED.

Yesterday, I wrote about the burden on my brother Dr. Terver Akase, defending the indefensible. Some people were quick to ask that I should bring “figures and details” to prove my boss right.

Truth is: If I speak, you will call it my job.
But I’m sure When others speak, you will listen.

Now, let’s listen to the “others who are speaking”

They have most certainly, vindicated my principal, HE, Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia and proven that Indeed, the Alia, the better!!!

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia felicitates His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR and Muslims on Eid-el-Kabir, calls for sustained prayers and support for the president and governments at all levels in the discharge of their mandates to the people.

Eid Mubarak!

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

TERVER AKASE AND THE BURDEN OF DEFENDING THE INDEFENSIBLE

Loyalty is a virtue. In politics, it is currency. But when loyalty is deployed to whitewash failure, it stops being noble and becomes tragic.

That is the corner my dear brother Dr Terver Akase finds himself in today. Once regarded as one of Benue’s finest media minds, Akase has taken on the unenviable job of defending his former principal, Dr. Samuel Ortom, former Governor of Benue State. It is a masterclass in undying loyalty. The problem is, the man he defends is a crude politician whose record in office still draws anger from the very people he governed.

You do not need propaganda to know what Ortom left behind. Ask the teachers who went months without pay. Ask the pensioners who protested at Government House with placards and empty stomachs. Ask the civil servants whose salaries became a lottery. The figures are public, the arrears were documented, and the memories of those who suffered are still fresh. Figures don’t lie, and you cannot argue with records.

Yet Dr Terver Akase, with the polish of a seasoned spokesman, has been making desperate attempts to reframe that legacy. He speaks of Ortom’s battles, his courage, his “sacrifices.” But no amount of media craftsmanship can launder what Benue people lived through. You cannot clean an image that the streets have already judged. Some stains don’t come out, no matter how hard you scrub. Trying very hard today with an iron sponge on Arise TV, was pitiable.

It is unfortunate. Akase is a gentleman, urbane and articulate. He built a reputation as a credible media professional long before he entered Government House. To see that reputation now tied to defending a tenure many consider disastrous is to watch loyalty curdle into self-destruction. Life can indeed be cruel like that.

The painful truth is this: loyalty to a dying horse drags you down with it. When the principal is a rotten egg, every attempt to package him only transfers the stench to the defender. I do not envy Terver Akase at this point in his career. He is trying to sell what the market has already rejected, to market a product the people have tasted and spat out.

In the end, history will remember two things. It will remember Ortom’s tenure for the debts, the unpaid wages, and the hardship that defined it. And it will remember that Terver Akase, a man with so much promise, chose to spend his voice defending it.

Loyalty is great. But when it is invested in the wrong man, it becomes the fastest way to ruin a good name.

On the whole and away from my good brother and friend, Dr Terver Akase, it is a fact that if Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia had not come at the time he did, Benue would have sunk completely into the abyss of under development and total collapse and NO matter what ANYONE says in defense of the past administration, records are there to show that, The Alia The Better!!

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication.

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

Earlier today, His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, serving as the Benue State Returning Officer for the APC Presidential Primary Election, presented the results from the state to the Chairman of the Presidential Primaries Committee, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre, Abuja.

As a state that strongly believes in the Renewed Hope Agenda of Mr. President, the Benue people came out en masse to show their overwhelming love and support for the President, who has been nothing short of a father figure to them.

This massive show of support has delivered an impressive victory for him against his opponents.

Congratulations, Mr. President!

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

PRESS STATEMENT

GOVERNOR ALIA URGES APC FAITHFUL TO VOTE MASSIVELY FOR PRESIDENT TINUBU IN DIRECT PRIMARIES

Saturday, 23/05/2027

His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, Executive Governor of Benue State, has called on all members of the All Progressives Congress [APC] in Benue and across the country to come out en masse and vote for His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, in the direct primaries scheduled to hold today nationwide.

The Governor made the call while stepping out to participate in the exercise in Makurdi. He described the direct primary model as a welcome development that gives every card-carrying member of the party the opportunity to have a direct say in the choice of the party’s flag bearer.

Governor Alia urged party faithful to consider the bold reforms, infrastructural strides, and economic initiatives being implemented by President Tinubu under the Renewed Hope Agenda. He noted that the President’s policies, though tough, are already laying a solid foundation for Nigeria’s long-term prosperity and stability.

He further appealed for peace, order, and maturity during the primaries, stressing that the exercise is a family affair aimed at strengthening the party ahead of the general elections.

Governor Alia commended President Tinubu for his unwavering support to Benue State and reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to work in synergy with the Federal Government to deliver more dividends of democracy to the people.

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication.

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

PRESS STATEMENT

GOVERNOR ALIA APPRECIATES BENUE APC FOR OVERWHELMING SUPPORT AT DIRECT PRIMARIES

Friday, 22/05/2026

His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, Executive Governor of Benue State, expresses profound appreciation to the entire membership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State for standing firmly by him and voting massively for him during the direct primaries to emerge as the party’s flag bearer in the forthcoming general elections.

Governor Alia described the overwhelming support as a resounding vote of confidence in his administration and a clear endorsement of the progress so far recorded in infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, and security across the state.

He reaffirmed his unwavering determination to continue delivering the dividends of democracy to every community in Benue State, stressing that the second phase of his stewardship will build on the foundation already laid.

Governor Alia extended a hand of fellowship to all those who contended with him during the primaries. He called on Engr. Jeffrey Kuraun and Hon. Terwase Orbunde, to join hands with him to strengthen the party, promote unity, and work together for the collective victory of the APC.

He said the contest is over and the real task ahead is to build a stronger, united APC that will win at the polls and continue to serve the people.

The Governor further called on the Benue APC family and all supporters to come out en masse during the general elections to vote for His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. He noted that the President has shown uncommon courage and commitment in repositioning Nigeria, and deserves the support of all well-meaning Nigerians to continue with his good plans under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

Governor Alia thanked party leaders, delegates, stakeholders, security agencies, and INEC for ensuring a peaceful and credible process. He assured the people of Benue that the best is yet to come.

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Media Publicity and Strategic Communication

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

THOUSANDS OF SUPPORTERS JOIN GOVERNOR ALIA AS HE PARTICIPATES IN APC DIRECT PRIMARIES

His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, Executive Governor of Benue State, was today at his council ward of Mbadede, joined by thousands of enthusiastic supporters as he participated in the All Progressives Congress, APC, direct primaries for the selection of the party’s flag bearer ahead of the forthcoming general elections.

The massive turnout was a remarkable display of love, solidarity, and confidence in a performing governor whose transformational leadership has continued to resonate with the people.

This is a clear indication that the people have full confidence in his administration’s commitment to deepening democracy, delivering good governance, and consolidating on the Renewed Hope Agenda in Benue State.

Indeed the Alia the better!!

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

PRESS STATEMENT

GOVERNOR ALIA SET TO PARTICIPATES IN APC GOVERNORSHIP PRIMARY ELECTIONS, CALLS FOR FREE, FAIR, AND PEACEFUL PROCESS

Thursday, 21/05/2026

His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, the Executive Governor of Benue State and frontline contender under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is set to participate in the primary elections holding today in the state.

Other notable contenders in the process include Engr. Jeffrey Kuraun and Hon. Terwase Orbunde, as the party prepares to select its flag bearers ahead of the general elections.

Governor Alia has called on the leadership of the APC at all levels to ensure a free, fair, credible, and transparent process that reflects the true will of party members. He emphasized that internal democracy remains the foundation of the party’s strength and electoral success.

The Governor also urged all party faithful, delegates, and stakeholders across Benue State to come out en masse and participate actively in the exercise. He stressed the need for peace, maturity, and respect for party guidelines throughout the process.

He further reaffirmed his commitment to the unity and progress of the APC and called on all contenders to see the exercise as a brotherly contest aimed at strengthening the party to deliver good governance to the people.

Governor Alia wishes all aspirants success and prays for a hitch-free and rancor-free primary election.

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Benue state Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

PRESS STATEMENT

GOVERNOR ALIA CONGRATULATES APC NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FLAG BEARERS IN BENUE STATE

Wednesday, 20/05/2027

His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, the Executive Governor of Benue State, has congratulated all successful flag bearers of the All Progressives Congress [APC] for the National Assembly seats in Benue State following the conclusion of the party primaries for those seats.

Governor Alia described the outcome of the primaries as a reflection of the will of party members and the growing internal democracy within the APC in Benue State.

He expressed profound appreciation to the national leadership of the APC for providing a level playing field that allowed for a credible and transparent process. The Governor also extended gratitude to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his steadfast leadership and commitment to strengthening the party at all levels.

The Governor further appreciated the voters across Benue State who took time to participate in the direct primaries and make their choices known. He noted that their active involvement demonstrates the growing political consciousness and commitment of Benue people to shaping the future of the state and the nation. He said their decision is a true reflection of holding the elected accountable.

To the newly elected flag bearers, Governor Alia urged them to see their emergence as a call to greater service and responsibility. He encouraged them to prepare thoroughly and commit to delivering better representation, impactful legislation, and tangible development outcomes for the people of Benue State than their predecessors.

He urged them to prepare themselves to serve with humility, integrity, and a deep sense of duty as the good people of Benue expect improved service delivery.

Governor Alia reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to working collaboratively with all elected representatives to advance the peace, security, and prosperity of Benue State under the Renewed Hope Agenda.

The National Assembly Primary Election Election Committee led by its chairman, Sabi’u Sa’idu Maluta had declared Senator Gabriel Torwua Suswam winner of the Benue North East Senatorial seat with 131,083 votes, ACG Benjamin Terseer Aber, (Rtd) winner of the Benue North West Senatorial seat with 93,412 votes and Hon. Francis Ottah Agbo winner of the Benue South Senatorial district with 58, 780 votes.

Chief Solomon Iorpev
Technical Adviser to the Benue State Governor on Media, Publicity and Strategic Communication

[Solomon Iorpev @IorpevSol]

It was a glorious 60th anniversary thanksgiving service and reception in honor of my principal His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia.
Congratulations your excellency. Benue has 60 glorious reasons to celebrate and honor you.