…Challenges Ortom, Aondoakaa to present records of past achievements
By Terdue Atondu, Makurdi
The Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, Tersoo Kula, has dismissed criticisms of the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia, saying the governor’s achievements cannot be “drowned in partisan spin.”
Kula was reacting to a statement by Dr. Terver Akase, former Chief Press Secretary to ex-Governor Samuel Ortom and now media consultant to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, Chief Michael Kaase Aondoakaa, SAN.
Akase had, in a commentary titled “Alia’s Attacks on Ortom, Aondoakaa Cannot Mask His Failure,” criticised the Alia administration.
But in a statement issued on Saturday, Kula described Akase’s commentary as “long on political rhetoric but remarkably short on the evidence” required to substantiate its claims against the governor.
He said attempts to portray Governor Alia as distracted, afraid or unable to defend his record would not alter what he described as the realities on the ground.
According to him, the administration has recorded interventions in infrastructure, agriculture, education, healthcare, pensions, rural development and other sectors, which, he said, were visible and open to assessment by the people.
Kula also cautioned against using increased Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) revenue as the sole basis for assessing the performance of state governments.
He argued that increased federal revenue did not automatically translate into unlimited resources for states, noting that the Alia administration had operated amid high inflation, rising construction costs, insecurity and other economic pressures.
“Quoting FAAC inflows without examining the corresponding cost of governance and development is a deliberately incomplete way of assessing the performance of any government,” he said.
On insecurity, the governor’s spokesman condemned the politicisation of the recent attack on Ayilamo community in Logo Local Government Area, stressing that every life lost to insecurity was painful irrespective of political affiliation.
He said Governor Alia had consistently treated insecurity as one of the state’s major challenges and had engaged the Federal Government and security agencies on efforts to protect communities and facilitate the return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes.
Kula also questioned the political position of former Governor Ortom, particularly his reported support for President Bola Tinubu and Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
He said Benue people were entitled to understand the principle behind describing support for opposing presidential interests, including providing campaign logistics for Obi, as “statesmanship.”
Turning to the candidacy of Aondoakaa, Kula challenged Akase to present the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice’s record of achievements in public office rather than relying on campaign promises.
“Dr. Akase should tell Benue people what Aondoakaa achieved when he served as Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, rather than presenting promises for an office he may never occupy as though they constitute an established record,” Kula said.
He also called on Aondoakaa to be transparent about his business interests and financial obligations, particularly those associated with MICAP Nigeria Limited and commercial bank loans.
Kula stressed that his remarks were not an accusation of wrongdoing but a call for transparency from anyone seeking public office.
He further questioned how Aondoakaa could be presented as a completely different political proposition without subjecting his past record, experience and public claims to scrutiny.
According to him, promises to secure farmlands, return IDPs, enforce laws, restore local government autonomy and provide good governance remained promises until implemented.
“Political ambition should not erase history, and campaign rhetoric should not be allowed to replace an honest examination of what candidates have done when they previously had the opportunity to serve,” he said.
Kula maintained that Governor Alia had an existing record that could be independently examined, citing the administration’s reforms, infrastructure projects, security interventions, agricultural initiatives, pension and workers’ welfare measures, as well as efforts to attract investments into the state.
He said such achievements distinguished the incumbent administration from political promises yet to be tested.
The CPS also dismissed the suggestion that Governor Alia was afraid of Aondoakaa, arguing that the opposition’s sustained attention to the governor and his administration contradicted the claim.
“If the governor’s administration were truly as directionless and unpopular as suggested, the opposition would have little reason to spend so much energy constructing a narrative around his supposed fear,” he stated.
Kula said the 2027 governorship election would provide the electorate with the opportunity to assess the competing claims and determine which political platform deserved their support
He urged opposition politicians to continue their campaigns and critics to scrutinise the government, but insisted that criticism should be supported by evidence and that campaign promises should not be presented as achievements.
“The people of Benue are tired of noise without results. They are tired of recycled politicians who arrive every election season with mouthwatering promises.
“What they deserve now is leadership that can be measured by results, accountability and a clear understanding of the challenges confronting the state,” Kula said.
He added that Governor Alia’s record should be subjected to scrutiny, but not distorted to serve partisan interests, stressing that the people of Benue would ultimately determine the difference between political rhetoric and reality.
