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Innocent Oweh
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, on Wednesday said State Governors are well positioned to handle State Policing system, just as the Federal Government is perfecting legislations about it’s functionalilty.
He argued that community-based policing would improve intelligence gathering, adding that in terms of personnel recruitment, they are well grounded to recruit from their local communities because they understand the terrain and can identify criminal elements more effectively.
Alia gave his perspective on state policing while speaking an interactive session with State House Correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
“When people police their own communities, they know who belongs there and who does not. Intelligence becomes much easier to gather.”
While acknowledging concerns over possible abuse, he insisted that effective legislation, oversight and accountability mechanisms would address such fears.
“We should not abandon state policing because of fear. Every advanced society operates some form of local policing. The answer is regulation, accountability and monitoring.”
The Governor however praised the economic reforms being undertaken by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
For him, Tinubu’s economic reforms and policies have strengthened the state’s finances, improved security, revived infrastructure and agriculture, and transformed Benue into what he described as Nigeria’s emerging medical tourism hub.
According to him, the increased fiscal space created by the Federal Government’s reforms had enabled his administration to invest heavily in roads, healthcare, education, agriculture and security while meeting inherited financial obligations.
Alia said, “My people should be fully assured that every additional resource accruing to the state will continue to be utilised responsibly and transparently, as we are doing”.
According to him, prudent management of public resources has restored confidence in government, with salaries and pensions now being paid regularly after years of arrears inherited by his administration.
He recalled that when he assumed office, workers and pensioners were owed several months’ salaries and pensions, while some local government workers had outstanding entitlements dating back as much as seven years.
Speaking on agriculture, the governor said Benue had consistently subsidised fertiliser over the past three years, with government paying half the cost while farmers paid the balance.
According to him, the Federal Government recently supplied more than 600 truckloads of fertiliser to the state, in addition to over 6,000 metric tonnes secured through strategic partnerships.
“The state government pays 50 per cent while farmers pay the balance. That is why food production has increased, and we will continue with the programme because it is working.”
He said the administration was also accelerating agricultural mechanisation through the deployment of tractors, farmer cooperatives and Young Farmers Clubs, under which young people receive free land preparation, seedlings and production support.
“We are moving from subsistence farming to commercial agriculture. Every local government has access to tractors, and we are expanding the programme because the results have been encouraging.”
Alia also disclosed that the state had cleared over N1 billion in salary arrears and resolved longstanding litigations that stalled the revival of Taraku Mills, paving the way for new investors to take over the facility.
“We have cleared the encumbrances. The company taking over is now ready to come in fully. We expect it to generate direct and indirect jobs and significantly boost the state’s economy.”
