By

Fely Oby Mammah

 

History reminds us that the seeds of insurgency in Benue were sown long before Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia ever considered politics. His emergence is seen by many as divinely orchestrated—an answer to the cries of a people desperate for liberation from years of political misrule.

 

Rev. Fr. Alia, now Governor of Benue State, is viewed as a man of courage, compassion, and conviction. Despite immense pressure to compromise, he has remained resolute, refusing to trade the future of his people for political comfort or ill-gotten wealth. His integrity and faith echo the Biblical leaders who answered God’s call only with divine assurance—like Moses before Pharaoh or David before Goliath.

 

Quoting Mr. Peter Obi, “A country where politics thrives more than its industries is doomed.” This applies strongly to Benue, where the fight against insurgency continues to overshadow critical developmental initiatives. The state’s resources and energy, critics argue, should instead be focused on economic empowerment and security strategies that prevent the root causes of unrest.

 

Those attacking Governor Alia—out of envy, failed allegiances, or opposition from political godfathers—miss the broader mission. The people must recall that deliverance rarely comes without resistance. Just as Moses was mocked and opposed, so too will any true reformer face trials.

 

Governor Alia’s administration is beginning to unearth dangerous pacts made by past governments—deals that allegedly allowed armed herdsmen to penetrate Benue under the guise of migration. These revelations have sparked outcry from traditional leaders and elders, who see such arrangements as betrayals of ancestral trust.

 

The Tor Tiv, spiritual and cultural leader of the Tiv people, has been vocal in condemning any customs that promote violence, rape, or land seizure. At a public forum, he bluntly stated: “A culture that is not accepted in Benue State cannot be accepted by our people.” He likened violent intruders to madmen in mechanic uniforms, urging the true “mechanics” of the society—community defenders—to rise against such threats.

 

Benue’s identity as Nigeria’s food basket is under siege, not just from conflict but from political forces that thrive on backwardness. The governor’s agricultural vision is being stifled by actors with no interest in progress—many of whom are ironically benefactors of Western education, yet blind to the justice of their own people’s cause.

 

The people must now awaken. Governor Alia is not the enemy—he is the vessel. Foreign infiltration, whether political, economic, or violent, must be resisted through unity, vigilance, and strategic action. As the governor of Nasarawa casually blamed the River Benue for attracting herdsmen, it became evident that neighboring leaderships might not understand—or care about—the pain of Benue farmers losing ancestral lands.

 

This moment demands more than lamentation; it calls for action. The elders, chiefs, youth, and even former leaders must unite—not for politics, but for the survival of their culture, land, and future. The time for silence is over. The time to reclaim Benue is now.