We Are Not Owing Any Civil Servant Salary Arrears, Says Alia

By Terdue Atondu, Makurdi

Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Alia, has said his administration does not owe any serving civil servant salary arrears, assuring that the remaining outstanding payments would be cleared.

Governor Alia stated this in Otukpo while concluding his statewide engagement across the state’s 11 federal constituencies and 23 local government areas.
“We are not owing any civil servant a dime,” the governor declared.

According to him, his administration had, since assuming office three years ago, prioritised the regular payment of workers’ salaries and would extend the same commitment to pensioners.

He explained that the outstanding pension arrears in the local government system, which had accumulated to about three years before his administration came into office, had largely been cleared, with seven months remaining.
“I’m giving you my word that we are going to clear all that,” Alia assured.

The governor also disclosed that his administration had cleared the outstanding salary arrears owed state civil servants from 2017, leaving only one month unpaid.

“I have already given a directive that the one month arrears of the civil servants must be paid next month,” he said.

Alia said the statewide tour provided an opportunity for his administration to present its scorecard to the people, appreciate them for their support and listen directly to their concerns and needs.

He stressed that the support and cooperation of the people had contributed significantly to the achievements recorded by his administration.

Insecurity Reduced From 17 LGAs to Three
On security, the governor said the number of local government areas affected by insecurity had dropped significantly since 2023.

He recalled that 17 local government areas were affected when his administration assumed office, adding that the figure had subsequently reduced to six and now three.

“In 2023, 17 local governments were down because of insecurity. Immediately we met Mr. President, he joined forces with us. We fought insecurity to a standstill. It now came down to six. Now it has come down to three,” Alia said.

The governor, however, said his administration’s objective was not only to enable displaced persons return to their farms but to ensure their permanent return to their ancestral communities.

“You will go back to your farms, and after farming, you will still sleep right in your house,” he promised.

Alia commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his support to the state, particularly in tackling insecurity, saying the establishment of the Fifth Division of the Nigerian Army in Benue would further strengthen security operations.

He also pointed to the presence of a major Army brigade in Otukpo as part of efforts to improve security and enable residents to live without fear.

“Just next door here, we have a very big brigade in Otukpo. This is to ensure that we go to sleep with our two eyes closed,” he said.

The governor assured that his administration would continue to support security agencies and pursue measures to facilitate the permanent return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral communities.

Rep Lists Alia’s Projects in Otukpo
Earlier, the member representing Otukpo/Ohimini Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Blessing Onuh, said Governor Alia had fulfilled some of his campaign promises to the area.

She cited the reconstruction of Amadu Bello Way and the revival of the Otukpo Burnt Bricks as notable interventions by the administration.
Onuh, however, drew attention to the pressure on Otukpo caused by the influx of displaced persons and urged the governor to intensify efforts to tackle insecurity and facilitate their return to their communities.

Also speaking, the Executive Chairman of Otukpo Local Government Council, Hon. Prince Maxwell Ogiri, who represented Otukpo and Ohimini local government councils alongside his Ohimini counterpart, Hon. Gabriel Adole, commended the Alia administration for its interventions in the constituency.

Ogiri highlighted some of the projects executed by the administration and appealed for sustained attention to the needs of the people.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of the APC Elders Forum in Otukpo, Mr. Godwin Ukpoju, pledged increased support for Governor Alia’s administration.

Ukpoju promised that the governor would receive double the votes he secured in the area during the 2023 general elections