A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Dr Jeffrey Kuraun, has declared that Benue State is facing a historic governance and development crisis caused by decades of weak leadership, economic stagnation, insecurity, and political exclusion.
Addressing a press conference titled “What Has Happened to Benue?” in Makurdi, the state capital, Kuraun said the state, created in 1976 with enormous agricultural and human potential, had failed to transform its resources into sustainable prosperity nearly five decades later.
He said the early military administrations laid the institutional foundations of the state through the establishment of ministries, schools, and civil service structures, but failed to industrialise agriculture through investments in processing, storage, and agro-allied industries.
According to him, the administration of former governor George Akume brought political stability and improved public administration, noting that the government of former governor Gabriel Suswam witnessed visible infrastructural expansion and urban renewal projects, but coincided with rising debt levels, fiscal strain, and allegations of financial mismanagement.
He stated that insecurity became the defining challenge during the administration of former governor Samuel Ortom, as violent attacks and communal conflicts disrupted farming activities and displaced thousands of residents across several local government areas.
On the current administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia, Kuraun said expectations were initially high due to hopes of moral renewal and governance reforms, but concerns over insecurity, political exclusion, and weak institutional coordination have continued to grow.
He alleged that many APC stakeholders now feel sidelined within the state government, claiming that party leaders and political actors who held influence before Alia entered politics were gradually being pushed aside in what he described as an unhealthy atmosphere for democratic growth.
Kuraun further questioned the state’s fiscal management despite increased allocations following reforms under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, noting that Benue’s domestic debt stood at about ₦141 billion as of 2022 while annual FAAC inflows now exceed ₦430 billion.
He said that despite the improved revenue profile and monthly internally generated revenue estimated between ₦1 billion and ₦2 billion, borrowing continues while pension liabilities, gratuities, and grassroots development challenges remain unresolved.
The APC stalwart also lamented the collapse of state-owned industries such as Taraku Mills, Benue Burnt Bricks and Benue Brewery, as well as the decline of sports institutions including BCC Lions and Lobi Stars.
Speaking on the ongoing APC primaries in the state, Kuraun alleged widespread irregularities, including claims of pre-filled result sheets and election materials failing to reach designated centres despite winners being announced, warning that the collapse of internal democracy could damage public trust in governance.
He therefore called on the national leadership of the APC to ensure that the governorship primaries are transparent, credible, peaceful, and competitive, stressing that Benue needs a new leadership direction driven by competence, inclusion, institutional reform, agricultural industrialisation and economic transformation.
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