Image credit: Government House Photo

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‎Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Iormem Alia, recently took senior media executives in the state on a tour of his administration’s completed and ongoing infrastructure projects across key economic sectors in the State.

Sir Tersoo Kula, chief press secretary to the governor, said that the essence of the exercises was to silenced the opposition party’s negative criticism of the administration.

He said that the independent media assessment was neither choreographed nor designed as an alternative for data-driven governance,
‎rather, the exercise portrays the administration as carving a niche for openness and transparency.

‎Development, indeed, must be demonstrated, and that demonstration as far as Alia’s administration is concerned, is ongoing, physical, and accessible.

The statement reads:

“The exercise provided opportunity for independent media professionals to see, firsthand, projects and interventions undertaken by the administration across key sectors.
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‎The observations expressed by the visiting media team were their independent professional impressions, not government-issued verdicts or statistical reports.
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‎It is an established yardstick for establishing genuineness that firsthand observation remains a legitimate and long-established journalistic tool, complementing, but not substituting empirical data.
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‎The Benue State People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) public posturing in defiance of facts concerning the unprecedented transformation recorded by Governor Hyacinth Alia is the saddest commentary ever.
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‎Contrary to suggestions of vagueness, the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia has consistently made information on projects, budgets, and sectoral interventions available through official channels, including budget documents, procurement processes, and public briefings.
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‎Infrastructure projects, healthcare upgrades which have, educational interventions, and agricultural support programmes are visible across the state and open to verification by citizens, civil society groups, and the media alike.
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‎Are Benue people not enjoying the properly lit up streets, especially in the Makurdi metropolis courtesy of “operation lit up Makurdi”?
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‎In the Education sector, has Governor Alia not rejuvenated the primary school system with upgraded infrastructure and injection of over 9000 man power? Are we not seeing storey buildings for the first time in our primary schools?
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‎Has the Benue State University Teaching Hospital not turned into a medical tourist centre? Are there no upgrades in the hospital including a VIP clinic which is even digitalized? How about the attention given to the primary health care centres with the renovation of over a hundred across the state?
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‎In the area of commerce, is it not true that Benue State has built and established a brewery and a fruit juice company amongst others? ‎Sir Tersoo Kula, ‎Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Benue State.

The second phase was 25 roads and he has also completed all of them. These are verifiable and were witnessed by the visiting media team.

‎It is not a miracle that the people of Idye in Makurdi for the first time were not displaced by flooding in 2025. The massive intervention of ecological management by the Governor made it possible.

The same thing applies to the Wurukum market. Were the traders not happy that their shops survived flooding last year?
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‎It is rather very clear now that the immediate past People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led administration that performed abysmally in the state and was outrightly rejected at the polls to a point that they are presently in acute distress, sustained by emergency measures rather than structural strength lacks the faintest knowledge of what development is all about. They see, touch and feel but cannot understand how it is done. This is a very sad reality.
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‎Development, indeed, must be demonstrated, and that demonstration as far as Alia’s administration is concerned, is ongoing, physical, and accessible.
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‎It is also necessary to put records straight that the presence of national media figures and senior government communicators at such engagements does not invalidate the process.
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‎Governor Alia is fully equipped intellectually and administratively. He is not oblivious of the fact that governance thrives on engagement, openness, and dialogue. Development communication is not diminished by interaction; rather, it is strengthened when facts are tested through public exposure.
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‎As Alia leads, Benue State government remains firmly committed to accountability, fiscal responsibility, and continuous improvement.
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‎Rankings, indices, and performance metrics are tools for reflection, not definitive judgments divorced from context.
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‎The administration is focused on correcting inherited structural challenges, strengthening institutions, and ensuring that public resources deliver measurable impact over time. The government welcomes constructive criticisms and a data-driven discourse.
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‎However, it rejects the notion that acknowledging visible progress or facilitating independent assessment amounts to propaganda.

The people of Benue State deserve both facts and fair representation, but abhor selective skepticism.
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‎Let it be on record that, progress and development in Benue State is not proclaimed by press statements alone; it is reflected in ongoing innovations and projects, improved service delivery, and the daily experiences of the masses.
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‎These and many more realities remain open to scrutiny, verification, and public accountability which this administration does not fear, but has embraced and is ever ready to be taken on, at any time.”
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• Vice-President Kashim Shettima

The Federal Government is set to launch a new learning fund and empowerment platform targeted at unlocking the potential of Nigerian children, women and youths.

The platform – ‘Women and Youth Financial and Economic Inclusion (WYFEI), will be unveiled on Wednesday by the Vice-President Kashim Shettima , at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja.

This is contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications (Office of the Vice President), Stanley Nkwocha.

“The initiative, convened by the Office of the Vice President in collaboration with Sterling One Foundation, the United Nations System and other ASIS partners, will form part of the outcomes of the Africa Social Impact Summit (ASIS) 2026 High-Level Policy Engagement,” said the statement.

He emphasised that the WYFEI is the country’s flagship platform for advancing women and youth economic empowerment through compact-based delivery, co-investment frameworks and performance accountability.

“This will make Nigeria the implementation platform of the African Union’s WYFEI programme.

“WYFEI will also be launched in other countries after Nigeria.”

Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) workers, supported by the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), staged a protest on Monday at the National Industrial Court in Abuja.

The demonstration highlighted ongoing grievances over unpaid promotion arrears, poor working conditions, and other unresolved welfare issues.

The workers are currently engaged in a total and indefinite strike that has disrupted operations across FCTA departments. Carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Pay promotion arrears,” “Enough is Enough,” “No working tools,” “Wike must go!!,” and “Abuja no be Rivers,” protesters demanded the immediate settlement of outstanding entitlements and, in some cases, called for the removal of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike.

The NLC fully backed the industrial action, stating that the protest and strike followed repeated failed negotiations with FCTA leadership.

Union officials emphasized that months of complaints regarding delayed promotions, inadequate tools, and deteriorating workplace conditions had left workers with no alternative but to escalate the matter.

The demonstration coincided with a court session on the dispute. The National Industrial Court heard arguments in a suit filed by the FCTA authorities challenging the legality of the strike.

Justice Emmanuel Danjuma adjourned proceedings, with a ruling on motions—including any to halt the industrial action—scheduled for Tuesday, January 27, 2026.

The labour dispute has persisted for months, with unions rejecting FCTA claims that certain demands have been met, insisting that critical issues like promotion arrears remain unaddressed.

The strike has reportedly led to widespread disruptions, including school closures in some areas as teachers joined the action.

Security personnel were present at the court premises as protesters chanted solidarity songs and maintained a peaceful picket throughout the day.