July 17, (THEWILL) — The immediate past Commissioner of Education in Benue State, Professor Dennis Ityavyar, has revealed that his decision to run for the governorship seat in Benue State again in 2027 is a result of the poor outing by Governor Hyacinth Alia of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Professor Ityavyar aspired to be governor in the 2023 general election on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) but lost in the party primaries to the then Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Rt. Honourable Titus Tyoapine Uba.
Answering questions from newsmen at his Makurdi residence on Wednesday, Prof. Ityavyar stated that he used the first two years to assess the governor Alia administration and rate him low, which necessitated his decision to come to the rescue.
According to him, anyone contesting for elections has something to offer to their people in terms of development, and he wanted to know if Governor Alia would have the capacity, but discovered he does not have the capacity to rule the state.
“I rated Governor Alia very low in performance. He has not done anything tangible, particularly in the area of security. The governor does not even feel the pains of the people whose loved ones were being massacred by the Fulani herdsmen”, Ityavyar declared.
Lamenting further, the Don stated that herdsmen were killing people in Logo, Ukum, Agatu, Guma, Gwer West, and Kwande local government areas, alleging that Governor Alia regards such acts as skirmishes, and is not creative in tackling security challenges in the state.
“What is more, even the local security outfit, ‘Anyam Nyor’, which was launched by the state government, is doing nothing. As a Governor, you should have a passion for your people. Governor Alia does not go where people are attacked and killed”, he alleged.
Professor Ityavyar noted that Alia is a good priest, but not good in governance, emphasising the danger of giving leadership, particularly governance, to one who has no experience in politics, pointing out that Alia is a good example, as he is a monumental disaster who does not know what to do in times of conflict.
He queried why Governor Alia has refused to make public the federal allocation accruing to the state as well as the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), including the actual wage bill.
Responding to a question, the Don said, the African Democratic Party (ADC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) would not pose any threat to him and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2027.
The PDP chieftain argued that the senator Gabriel Suswam-led faction of the party in the state was insignificant and is not known at the national secretariat, applauding Chief Samuel Ortom for leading PDP with respect and due process.
Reflecting on his tenure as Commissioner for Education during the Samuel Ortom Administration, Professor Ityavyar noted that a lot was achieved during the era, even with lean resources, of which Benue people are proud beneficiaries.
