The Benue State Governor-elect, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has said he does not need a wife to act as the First Lady to govern the North Central state.
In a statement issued by his spokesman, Tersoo Kula, on Tuesday, the governor-elect stated that he has worked as a Catholic priest for years without a wife and his new position will not be an exception.
Alia asserted that the Constitution of Nigeria does not even recognise the Office of the First Lady, and therefore the First Lady does not have any major role in the governance of the state.
He stated that a new Benue is possible by embracing a new way of thinking and action by cultivating a new ethos that brings forth better angels and not worst demons.
He said: “My fellow citizens, a new Benue is possible, and I enjoin all of you to join hands with me to make it a reality. Let us begin by embracing a new way of thinking and action by cultivating a new ethos that expresses the best of us, that brings forth our better angels and not our worst demons.
“Unending political recriminations and willful economic sabotage must give way to accommodation and the pursuit of loftier ideals.”
Alia also commended his opponents for making the just-concluded governorship election an interesting contest, adding that it is now time to unite and face the challenges of development.
He said, “I would like to congratulate my opponents from the other parties for making it an interesting contest. However, the anxious period of politicking is over. Now is the time to unite and face the challenges of development.”
Alia also promised to clear the backlog of salary arrears, pensions and gratuities, resettle Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in their ancestral homes, address persistent security challenges, and set the stage for a prosperous Benue.
The governor-elect said that he needs to set the foundations for a strong economy and to start building an economy of the future based on skills and talents and education and the application of technology.
