Alia, Aondoakaa trade words over Benue insecurity

Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Michael Aondoakaa, and the party have traded words over the worsening insecurity in the state.

The governor, while reacting to statements credited to the PDP governorship candidate and the party, accused them of politicising insecurity in the state, describing their actions as “irresponsible”.

Governor Alia, in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, on Wednesday, said the blood being spilled, the grief of bereaved families, the trauma of survivors and the many other losses suffered by the people required compassion, urgent action and unity, rather than what he described as “sarcastic profiteering”.

Alia said: “At a moment like this, what our people expect and deserve is responsible leadership and constructive oversight.

“Confirmation by security chiefs abounds to the effect that Governor Hyacinth Alia’s administration is consistently providing tangible support to security agencies through logistical assistance, intelligence collaboration, personnel motivation and coordination with local vigilantes to protect communities and restore peace.”

Meanwhile, Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, accused the Alia administration of criminalising criticism to evade responsibility for what he described as the government’s failure to address insecurity.

Aondoakaa, in a statement issued by his Media Assistant, James Ian, described it as “shameful that a government under whose watch communities are repeatedly invaded, farmers displaced and innocent people killed now considers criticism of its woeful performance a greater threat than the criminals unleashing terror across the state”.

The governorship candidate described the efforts of the state government as ineffective, arguing that Benue communities were still experiencing severe attacks.

He, however, called on the governor to provide effective leadership and nip the insecurity ravaging the state in the bud.

Similarly, the opposition PDP in the state advised Governor Alia to sit up and provide effective leadership and security for the people under his administration.

In a separate statement issued on Wednesday in reaction to the killing of 15 people at Efeyi Ugboju in Otukpo Local Government Area of the state on Tuesday, the PDP decried what it described as the deafening silence of the Alia administration over the incessant killings of innocent people across the state.

The state Publicity Secretary of the party, Bright Antyo, in the statement, lamented that communities were repeatedly being attacked while the government’s responses remained reactive, weak and largely ineffective.

“Leadership is not by words but by decisive action, empathy and the ability to inspire confidence in times of crisis,” he said, regretting that the people of the state were witnessing none of these.