By Aare Abiodun Oluwarotimi, Lagos
The internal crisis in the Benue State chapter of the All Progressive Congress, APC can no longer be hidden as the deputy spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese has confirmed the rift between the party’s stakeholders in the state and Governor Hyacinth Alia.
Chief Agbese who represents Ado/Ogbadibo/Okpokwu Federal Constituency at the Green Chambers of the National Assembly spoke in a press briefing with journalists in Makurdi where he stated that the reason behind the rift with Reverend Father Alia is because he had failed the people of the state as regards his electioneering campaign promises.
He however made it known that he and other Tiv-speaking legislators are also angry with Governor Alia for marginalizing their areas while he gives appointments and patronage to his kinsmen alone.
Although, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Tersoo Kula denied the allegation, Agbese maintained that the governor has nothing to show for his over seven months stay in office as governor of Benue state.
Kula Tersoo in his statement said that the governor was in good terms with stakeholders of the Benue APC. He added that his principal had performed very well in the areas of payments of salaries and pensions, infrastructure, agriculture and investment.
According to Agbese, the rift between the Benue National Assembly Caucus and Governor Alia is a function of disagreements on policy issues and party manifesto.
He said the rift became unresolvable because the governor deliberately shunned the promises he made to the people of the state during his campaigns.
Reacting on statements credited to the governor that there was no rift between him and the party’s stakeholders, Agbese said there is a rift and all the federal lawmakers are angry with the governor.
His words: “Yes, there is rift. If this disagreement between us and the governor on policy issues and party manifesto does not in any way suggest there is a rift, then I wonder what is rift.
“But if I still understand English, there is a major disagreement between us and the Governor of Benue State which he is very much aware of and he has continued to pretend over the issue. But we cannot continue to pretend.”
Also reacting to a recent statement by the governor’s media Aide, Tersoo Kula that the federal lawmakers secured their victories at the 2023 general elections as a result of the ‘yes fada’ miracle, Agbese said that it was rather the lawmakers that helped the governor to win his election.
Denying the statement and speaking on their contributions to secure victory for Governor Alia, the lawmaker said: “I followed him to Ado Local Government Area, LGA, and I know what I said to my people to present him to them. I followed him to Okpokwu and Ogbadigbo LGAs and I know what I told the people.
“My other colleagues like Dickson Tarkighir followed him to Guma LGA and we know what he told his people. We promised the people of Guma that within 100 days in office we will take the IDPs back to their homes, we will be able to build structures that will accommodate them back at their ancestral homes and others.”
Agbese however frowned at the way the media handlers of the governor have been celebrating payments of salaries and pensions, saying that it is a ‘statutory’ responsibility of any government. “No one should see that as an achievement of the Alia administration” he added.
His words: “He is here telling our people about salary, is it about salary? If you have paid salary today and you buy fuel to travel to your village without good roads and security, are you going to be enjoying that salary.
“Did the past government not pay salary? Of course, we all agree that there was a along period that they had issues with payment of salaries but they paid salaries. And we (APC government) have not done anything differently.
“So what’s the need for us APC to campaign in the first instance asking the people to give us their mandate if we are coming to pay salaries and do nothing for the masses.”