For decades, Benue people have witnessed a familiar cycle of government projects. Every new administration arrived with promises of industrialization, economic transformation, job creation, and prosperity. Groundbreaking ceremonies became regular spectacles.
Commissioning events attracted dignitaries, television cameras, and loud applause. Beautiful speeches were delivered, ribbons were cut, and plaques bearing the names of political leaders were unveiled. Sadly, for many of those projects, that was where the story ended.
Factories that should have become engines of economic growth were abandoned almost immediately after commissioning. Machines that were expected to produce goods for years gathered dust within months. Buildings that represented hope gradually became monuments to failed leadership, while the ordinary people who expected employment and improved livelihoods were left disappointed.
Over time, Benue citizens became accustomed to seeing industries launched with excitement only to disappear from public consciousness almost as quickly as they emerged. The consequence was devastating. Government-owned enterprises that ought to have generated revenue, reduced unemployment, encouraged local production, and strengthened the state’s economy instead became symbols of waste and broken promises. Successive administrations appeared more interested in the publicity surrounding commissioning ceremonies than in ensuring that those companies actually survived and fulfilled the purposes for which they were established.
It is therefore understandable that many Benue people became skeptical whenever another government announced the revival or establishment of a company. Years of disappointment conditioned the public to believe that every commissioning ceremony was merely another political event rather than the beginning of genuine industrial productivity.
However, history should not become a prison that prevents us from recognizing positive change whenever it occurs. Every administration deserves to be judged by its own record, not merely by the failures of its predecessors. Where there is evidence of consistency, productivity, and commitment, fairness demands that such evidence be acknowledged regardless of political affiliations or personal sentiments.
That is precisely why the conversation around the industries being revived and sustained under the administration of His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia deserves a more objective assessment.
Rather than dismissing these efforts because of old habits of distrust, Benue people should ask a simple question: are these companies merely being commissioned, or are they actually producing and creating value long after the ceremonies have ended?
Would anyone genuinely wish these companies dead simply because they were not established by the Governor of the day? And if he had changed their names, would that have made the achievement any more meaningful? Who says that revamped or revived companies cannot function successfully after commissioning?
Since Dr. Raymond Asemakaha resumed as Group Managing Director of BIPC, which of its subsidiaries has failed to operate even for a single day? When has BIPC Bread disappeared from the market? Has there been a day BIPC Water was unavailable because of faulty machines, power outages, or any other excuse? Check the other BIPC products and you will find the same story of consistency.
So, what makes anyone think the takeover of Taraku Mills, among several other revived industries, is destined to fail? It is time to set aside cynicism and judge developments with a clearer and more balanced mind.
The people of Benue are genuinely excited because every company established or revitalized under His Excellency Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia is showing signs of life and productivity. This sharply contrasts with the past, when many state-owned companies existed only until the day they were commissioned before quietly fading into extinction.
Was it not here in Benue State that a fertilizer blending plant was commissioned during the era of President Olusegun Obasanjo with fertilizer secretly sourced elsewhere, repackaged, and presented as “Made in Benue”? Immediately after the President left Makurdi, the entire exercise came to an end.
And what about the plastic manufacturing company? It, too, was commissioned with great fanfare. Behind the scenes, however, finished plastic products were quietly purchased from Wurukum, High Level, and Wadata markets to create the false impression that production had begun. Where is that company today? Is it not the same company that was later acquired by one of our former governors and now thrives as a private business while the state that once owned it receives nothing?
The Wannune factory tells a similar story. Visit the site today and you will meet empty structures instead of productive industries. That is the painful legacy of an era where public enterprises were treated as political ornaments rather than economic assets.
This is how deeply entrenched interests operate. They recruit misguided youths to defend years of looting for a token, and once those youths are fed, they care little whether the state prospers or declines. Sadly, this is the situation we have found ourselves in.
When BIPC began producing bread and water, critics hurried to argue that the projects were not initiated by this administration and therefore there was “nothing to celebrate.” But does it really matter who started a project if another administration is the one that finally made it work? Brilliant ideas only become meaningful when they are backed by disciplined execution.
Today, facilities that once existed only on paper are finally producing because Governor Alia chose to focus on them. Yet acknowledging that progress still attracts unnecessary resistance from those unwilling to give credit where it is due.
Interestingly, some critics once dismissed government involvement in producing bread, water, nails, juice, and other everyday products as “petty trading.” In making that argument, they conveniently ignored the jobs being created, the markets being opened for local farmers, and the revenue being generated for the state.
It is worth asking why such criticism exists. Those who benefited from the old order, many of whom own similar private businesses, naturally do not want government-owned industries competing with theirs or with those of their political sponsors. When those who should champion development become threatened by it, we must admit that something is fundamentally wrong. The difference between Governor Alia’s administration and many before it is simple: these projects are driven by a genuine desire to produce results, reduce unemployment, support local farmers, and expand Benue’s economy. While others merely commissioned projects for political headlines, this administration appears determined to ensure they survive long after the ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
The evidence continues to grow. Benue Links has been revived, RAAMP is delivering, SUBEB is recording notable achievements. Across different sectors, the signs of renewal are becoming increasingly visible.
The journey has not been easy, but worthwhile achievements rarely are. Even Moses faced enormous resistance while leading his people. Those he sacrificed for often became the very people who opposed him. Progress has always demanded perseverance, and Benue’s story will be no different.
A few voices remain unhappy today, largely because they benefited from the old order and are uncomfortable with change. That should not discourage the work. Let the reforms continue until 2031, when this administration’s constitutional tenure comes to an end.
The companies revived under Governor Alia are here to stay. By the time this administration hands over in 2031, Benue people should not merely look for another politician they should look for another leader with the vision, discipline, and commitment to sustain these genuine developmental strides.
Stephen Numbeve Is the Benue State Project Coordinator, Rural Access And Agricultural Marketing Project (BN-RAAMP).
