Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia, has disclosed plans by his administration to recruit an additional 12,000 workers into the state civil service.
The governor made this known on Wednesday at LGEA Primary School, Nege, Mbaanue, Mbatiav, Gboko Local Government Area, while addressing his maternal relatives shortly after the burial of his maternal grandmother, late Mama Nguzungwen Shom.
Alia said the planned recruitment would complement the recent employment of 9,700 primary school teachers and further strengthen the state workforce for improved productivity and effective service delivery.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to delivering democratic dividends to the people across the 23 local government areas of the state.
The governor attributed his achievements in office to the prayers, blessings and support of his maternal community, saying they had encouraged him to pursue the restoration of Benue’s lost glory.
“My maternal people, you are the reason for my success in this journey of governance. I shall not fear any intimidation in the process. Come 2027, I remain firm and bold to take Benue State to the promised land,” he said.
Alia also described his late grandmother as a loving and caring mother under whose guidance he grew, saying her death was a devastating loss to him, the Shom family and the entire Mbatiav clan.
He appealed to elders and traditional rulers in Mbaavarakaa to pray for an end to what he described as frequent deaths in the Shom family, so that members of the family could live to old age.
Earlier, the District Head of Mbaavarakaa, Chief Bem Gbakoron, and the Mue Terdue Gbemacha, HRH Ijir Tarzoho, commended the governor for what they described as pragmatic and purposeful leadership.
They said the administration’s policies had impacted positively on the lives of Benue residents, particularly members of the Mbatiav community.
The traditional leaders also urged the governor to disregard what they described as unfounded speculations and assured him of their continued support.
Similarly, the APC Chairman in Gboko Local Government Area, Hon. Terfa Iorgilim; Chairman of the Benue Internal Revenue Service, Ambassador Prince Joseph Kwaghgba; and President-General of the Mbatiav Development Association, Mr. Joseph Gbakaan, lauded the governor’s development initiatives.
They described the transformation recorded under Alia as unprecedented since the return of democracy in 1999.
The stakeholders pledged the continued support of the Mbatiav people to the administration and urged residents to sustain their commitment ahead of the 2027 governorship election to enable the governor to continue his development agenda.
