The popular social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse, alias Very Dark Man (VDM), has described Benue State as one of the underdeveloped states in Nigeria he visited. He made this comment during a visit to the state in June, amidst the bloodbath in Yelewata, which was orchestrated by killer-herders. I don’t disagree with his assessment in its entirety.
Benue State was created on the 3rd February, 1976 by the military administration of General Murtala Mohammed, making it approximately 49 years old.
There is an insect, known as “ighὁ” in the Tiv language, a species used in edible entomophagy, that has a detrimental relationship with certain trees. When it invades a tree, it consumes the bark and leaves, causing the tree to wither in some cases. Unfortunately, many governors, particularly civilian ones, have had a similar impact on Benue State. Like the insect, they have ravaged the state’s resources, leaving it to wither away.
However, there have been notable exceptions, such as Mr. Aper Aku, who established state industries and infrastructure, and Rev. Father Moses Adasu, who made significant contributions during his twenty-two-month tenure, including the establishment of Benue State University.
Mr. Aper Aku, on the other hand, launched various commercial enterprises, including the Benue Brewery, Benro Packaging, Benue Bottling Company, Lobi Bank, Ber-Agbum Fish Farm, Ikogen Cattle Ranch, Taraku Vegetable Processing Industry, and Benue International Hotel in Makurdi. He initiated the Makurdi International Market and planned to establish a flour mill in the area. Additionally, Aku oversaw the construction of a state-of-the-art State Secretariat.
In the education sector, he established two teachers’ colleges in Oju and Makurdi, as well as the numerous government secondary schools he built across the state.
Mr. Aku transformed the Makurdi metropolis by constructing roads and installing streetlights. However, his successful civilian administration was short-lived, and these projects were left to decay after his government ended. Forty-six years later, the remnants of these once-thriving industries and infrastructure were all that remained, leaving a stark contrast of what VDM saw.
The arrival of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, the current executive governor has brought renewed hope, as his administration appears to be taking a different approach, diverging from the destructive pattern. We hope he remains focused on delivering his projects and will not be swayed by distractions. The legacies of great men endure long after they’re gone.
Written by Fidelis Aondongu Vandefan