By Soni Daniel

SOMETHING positive appears to be stirring in Benue State.

For a state long associated with insecurity, deaths, abandoned infrastructure and economic hardship, a new narrative of roads, bridges, industries and improved healthcare is beginning to emerge, with residents expressing renewed optimism over the direction of the state.

Across communities visited recently, one phrase has become almost a refrain:  “Our Governor is working.”  And, almost immediately, another line follows:  “Our President is working.”

The refrain, according to observations across the state, reflects growing public attention to projects being executed by the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Federal Government under President Bola Tinubu.

The emerging development story is being driven largely by what officials describe as stronger cooperation between the state and federal governments.

From the Wurukum flyover and Makurdi underpass to the Oju-Awajir Road, Buruku Bridge, Makurdi-Otukpo-Obollo-Afor-Enugu highway, Benue State University Teaching Hospital, BSUTH, and industrial projects, the administration appears determined to change the state’s infrastructure and economic landscape.

Indeed, the work of the governor and the president are vivid. This new slate of performance in the different strata of the state’s life, has opened what looks like a new way for the citizens to feel good. For instance, broken bridges are being rebuilt, agelong abandoned factories brimming with life again while new factories that provide enormous employment opportunities are churning out precious goods and services. All these have happened because of the new thinking that Governor Alia has brought to the state since he was elected over three years ago. The governor is happy to have done these things because of the unprecedented, active and sustained increased financial support he is getting from the Tinubu administration.

Projects changing Makurdi

In Makurdi, the state capital, the high-level underpass and the monumental Wurukum flyover have become major symbols of the administration’s urban renewal drive.

The projects are expected to ease traffic congestion, improve connectivity and reduce the difficulties residents have endured for years.

Beyond aesthetics, the projects are strategic because they intersect with major federal highways, linking communities within the state to other parts of the country.

The Oju-Awajir Road is another major intervention. The road has opened access to communities in Gwer East, Konshisha and Oju Local Government Areas, removing what residents describe as a longstanding barrier to movement and economic activities.

N20bn hospital investment

The health sector is also receiving attention.

The state government says it has invested more than  N20 billion  in the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, which has begun offering specialised medical services and attracting patients from within and outside the state.

The Chief Medical Director of BSUTH, Dr Stephen Terungwa Hwande, said the hospital now has some of the best facilities in Nigeria.

Hwande praised Alia for putting the hospital on the global map through the provision of high-tech equipment designed to improve medical services and productivity.

The government is also investing in the regeneration of the Otobi Water Treatment Plant in Otukpo to expand access to clean water.

Buruku Bridge: A lifeline for farmers

Perhaps one of the most significant Federal Government projects in the state is the Buruku Bridge across the Katsina-Ala River.

The bridge is expected to connect Katsina-Ala with yam-producing communities in Buruku, Katsina-Ala, Logo and Ukum Local Government Areas and parts of Taraba State.

For years, the absence of a permanent bridge across the river has restricted movement and commerce, with farmers and traders forced to depend on boats to cross the river.

The project, now nearing completion, is therefore being seen as more than a transportation infrastructure. It could become a major economic lifeline for one of Nigeria’s leading food-producing regions.

Major foundations and supporting beams have been completed, while final bridge structures are being assembled.

258km highway takes shape

The Federal Government is also constructing and dualising the  258-kilometre Makurdi-Otukpo-Obollo-Afor-Enugu Highway, one of the country’s key transportation corridors.

The highway is expected to strengthen the connection between northern agricultural communities and southern commercial centres.

Funding is being provided by the China Exim Bank and the Nigerian government.

The Benue State Federal Controller of Works, Engr. Mukaila Danladi, said the project, which commenced in 2023, is expected to be completed and handed over in December 2027.

According to him, funding is proceeding smoothly through the Renewed Hope Infrastructure Fund.

Alia takes industrialisation route

Beyond roads and bridges, Governor Alia appears to be pursuing an industrialisation agenda aimed at creating jobs and expanding the state’s economic base.

The administration has facilitated the establishment of the Food Basket Brewery, which is producing beer and malt drinks.

It is also working to revive the moribund Taraku Mill, a major industrial establishment that once played a significant role in Benue’s economy.

Alia said he had secured a partnership arrangement to revive the soybean-processing giant and return it to productive use.

The facility also includes a fruit concentrate plant expected to commence operations soon.

For a state whose greatest economic asset remains agriculture, the revival of agro-based industries could provide an important link between farming, processing, employment and commerce.

‘We have to set our priorities right’

Alia, while expressing satisfaction with the progress made by his administration, acknowledged that much more remained to be done.

The governor said he was prepared to deepen partnerships with investors to industrialise the state, create jobs and reduce unemployment.

“We have to set our priorities right and come out with a blueprint that is implementable to add value to the people we serve,” he said.

Deputy Governor Sam Ode commended Alia for expanding infrastructure and improving urban and rural development, saying the projects were giving the people a new lease of life.

He also praised the governor’s management of resources, which, he said, had enabled the administration to undertake several projects simultaneously.

Onanuga: Borrowing is justified when…

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr Bayo Onanuga, who led a Federal Government delegation to the state, defended borrowing to finance critical infrastructure.

According to him, what matters is not merely borrowing but what the borrowed funds are used for.

“As Nigerians, we see that the government has been accused of borrowing money. But we can also see where the money is going: to develop infrastructure, link people who had been forgotten, ensure commerce flows freely and enable farmers to move their produce straight to the markets,” Onanuga said.

He maintained that the funds were not disappearing into “invisible accounts”, but were being converted into roads, bridges and other infrastructure capable of stimulating commerce, connecting isolated communities and improving the quality of life.

2027 political implications

The emerging partnership between the Alia administration and the Tinubu government also has a political dimension ahead of the 2027 elections.

The visible cooperation between Abuja and Makurdi is already being projected as a model of what can be achieved when federal and state governments work together rather than engage in political rivalry.

If the projects continue to progress and translate into tangible improvements in the lives of residents, the development could influence public perception of both administrations as the 2027 elections approach.

For now, however, the immediate story in Benue is about a state where roads are being opened, bridges constructed, industries revived and healthcare infrastructure upgraded. Whether the emerging optimism will translate into political dividends in 2027 remains a question for the electorate.

By Dickson Omobola

National Chairman of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, on Wednesday said President Bola Tinubu will lose the 2027 general elections before 4 pm if the poll were credible, free and fair.

Baba-Ahmed described the All Progressives Congress, APC, as a monster eating itself up, saying that despite controlling the National Assembly and having 31 state governors, the President remained uneasy because Nigeria had become worse under his leadership.

He spoke on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, where he said Governor Ademola Adeleke’s victory in the Osun State governorship election had demonstrated that the APC could be defeated at the polls.

He said: “I saw the now sworn-in Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State speak in a very confident, very comfortable manner. APC was trounced in Osun. We didn’t even see a coalition or collaboration or a gang-up against the APC. Parties all competed against one another. Yet, APC was defeated. We have even heard stories that there was a deal between President Tinubu and Governor Ademola Adeleke. But we don’t believe that. We believe that the ruling party, Accord Party, defeated APC comprehensively. There’s no reason why this cannot repeat itself at a national level.

“APC is not a party. It is a monster eating itself up and eating everybody up. You have a party that has a president who is quite possibly the most powerful president, who has either given himself or been given by the people around him the most awesome powers to do anything he wants. You have a president who believes he must have all the power around him. He appears to have garnered the support of 31 governors and quite possibly about 75 per cent of the National Assembly, yet he’s still uncomfortable. It’s politically monstrous.

“If it’s a credible, free and fair election, I assure you, Tinubu will lose. I won’t say before 12 noon. Maybe before 4 pm. Nobody should praise INEC until it can actually conduct an election in which the President is a contestant. I hope the election will be credible, free and fair. If it’s not, I foresee a very serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.”

The National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, has warned against the use of state institutions to manipulate the 2027 general elections, insisting that the credibility of the polls must be “non-negotiable”.

Mark also cautioned against intimidation, violence and other forms of electoral malpractice, saying the ADC expected the next general elections to be transparent, inclusive, peaceful and free from interference.

The former Senate President spoke on Wednesday in Abuja when he received a delegation from the International Republican Institute (IRI), which is in Nigeria as part of its assessment of preparations for the 2027 elections.

According to Mark, the integrity of the electoral process would be critical to determining whether Nigerians would have confidence in the outcome of the 2027 polls.

“For us in the ADC, the credibility of the 2027 elections must be non-negotiable. We expect the electoral process to be transparent, inclusive, peaceful and free from manipulation, intimidation and the abuse of state institutions,” Mark said.

He expressed concern over what he described as the recurring abuse of the electoral process by governments in power as well as non-state actors, warning that such practices could undermine democratic governance and erode public confidence in elections.

Mark made particular reference to the violence and intimidation reported during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, which he said should serve as a warning ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He said reports indicated that no fewer than 30 people were killed during the election, describing the development as reprehensible and condemnable.

“Elections should not be treated as war or a do-or-die affair. There should be a democratic process through which citizens freely choose their leaders and advance their aspirations for development and a better quality of life,” he said.

The ADC chairman said his party was committed to an electoral process conducted in a secure environment where voters could freely cast their ballots without fear or intimidation.

He added that every vote must count and that mandates freely given by the electorate must be respected.

His comments come as political parties and other stakeholders intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with concerns over electoral violence, the neutrality of state institutions and the credibility of the electoral process already featuring prominently in discussions ahead of the polls.

Earlier, the IRI delegation said its visit was aimed at assessing the country’s level of preparedness and engaging key stakeholders on issues that could affect the conduct of the elections.

The African Regional Director of IRI, Jenai Cox, said the organisation was conducting a pre-election assessment mission to evaluate preparations for the 2027 polls.