Newly sworn in Governor of Benue State, Rev Father Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia has directed immediate freezing of all government bank accounts with immediate effect till signatories to the accounts are changed.
The governor gave the directive at the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida Square Makurdi in his inaugural speech shortly after being sworn- in as governor saying any bank that flouts the directive does so at her risk.
Governor Alia who was administered the oath of office by the state Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese while addressing people of the state said his administration will take decisive steps towards revamping the moribund state civil service. He gave the assurance that he will prioritise clearing of backlog of arrears of salaries, pension and gratuities.
He said the state was “faced with the challenge of insecurity, dampened morale from unpaid salaries, pensions and gratuities, dilapidated infrastructure, underdeveloped economy and even more broken civil service, massive unemployment and underemployment, endemic corruption and malaise.” But assured that his government will act fearlessly and swiftly.
The governor disclosed that the state was broken and needed a reset, adding that nothing can be achieved in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.
The second Catholic priest to be elected Benue State Governor stated that as a governor, he was committed to working with security agencies to ensure safety of lives and property of the state. And maintained that the root causes of insecurity were poverty, unemployment and social exclusion.
He said the state was on economic life support requiring intensive care and promised that his administration will prioritise job creation, economic empowerment by promoting private sector led industrialisation with particular emphasis on agriculture.
The governor who was flanked by his biological mother, nieces and nephews while taking oath of office revealed that he took a cursory overview of the state of infrastructure and found every facet to be in comatose and none performing story due to deliberate gross negligence. But assured that he will review the state of roads, water, electricity, health, sports, education, public housing and telecommunications.
He promised that he will reconnect the state with the proverbial national grid of politics which has been severed over the years due to bad governance, disclosing that he has no magic wand to actualise the many beautiful things he has for the state but through collective ideas.
The governor was taken round the public square in a mother cage amidst tight security where he acknowledged cheers from jubilant citizens who trooped out in thousands to grace the occasion.
