LG Chairman Refutes Alleged Neglect In Benue

The chairman of Agatu local government area of Benue State, Hon Melvin Ejeh, has dismissed claims that the state governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has abandoned the people of Agatu, describing the allegations as politically motivated and contrary to developments in the area.

Ejeh, who spoke in response to allegations by the Agatu West Peace and Unity Forum, said the level of government intervention in the local government under the Alia administration was evidence of sustained commitment to the area.

He maintained that virtually every major achievement recorded in Agatu under his leadership as council chairman had been supported by the governor.

“There is nothing I would have done in Agatu Local Government without the active moral, spiritual, financial and logistical support of the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia. Everything Agatu has become today is because of his direct efforts,” he said.

According to Ejeh, no previous administration in the state had demonstrated the same level of attention to Agatu, particularly in the areas of infrastructure, security, humanitarian support and the welfare of displaced residents.

He cited the ongoing 43-kilometre Obagaji-Okokolo-Agagbe road, which he said was being constructed at a cost of about ₦29 billion, as one of the administration’s major interventions in the area.

Ejeh described the project as one of the most significant infrastructure developments in Agatu since the return of democracy, noting that successive administrations had made promises concerning the road without making substantial progress.

“Today, that road project is ongoing. A large portion of it has already been done,” he said.

He explained that the road was already improving access to communities and enhancing security, adding that its completion was expected to reduce travel time between Makurdi and Agatu by about two hours.

He further noted that the road passed through areas previously notorious for insecurity, including communities around Egba and Ologba, thereby making it easier for security personnel to respond to emergencies.

The council chairman also pointed to what he described as increased political representation for Agatu under Governor Alia, noting that an indigene of the area, Dr Margaret Adekemi Ijaguwa, currently serves as Commissioner for Education.

He said her appointment had already begun yielding benefits, including plans to establish a government technical school in Enungba, where land had been acquired and preparations for construction were underway.

Ejeh also listed the appointments of Agatu indigenes, including Idris Ojimbili, Senior Special Assistant on Community Mobilisation, and Philip Otukpa, as well as other Agatu sons serving on government boards and agencies.

On healthcare, he disclosed that plans were at an advanced stage for the establishment of a Benue State University Teaching Hospital in Agatu.

According to him, technical groundwork and site assessment for the project had been completed, with construction expected to commence before the end of the year.

On security, Ejeh said the Alia administration had provided more than 45 motorcycles for use by conventional security personnel and community-based vigilante groups to strengthen rapid response to security threats.

He said the intervention had improved the capacity of security personnel and local vigilantes to reach vulnerable communities within a shorter period.

The council chairman also highlighted the intervention of the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), which he said had continued to provide monthly food assistance to internally displaced persons in Agatu, with the support continuing through July.

He further disclosed that Governor Alia had facilitated Agatu’s inclusion in a World Bank-supported SOLID project, under which more than $5 million was expected to be deployed to support displaced persons and conflict-affected communities in the local government.

Ejeh said the inclusion followed the governor’s insistence that Agatu, given its history of violent conflict and displacement, should benefit from the intervention.

While acknowledging that the return of displaced residents to their ancestral communities remained a major challenge, he maintained that the security situation in Agatu had changed significantly.

According to him, communities that were previously under siege and where residents could not safely access their farms were now accessible.

Adding to the list of projects, Ejeh disclosed that the governor had awarded a five-kilometre township road project estimated at ₦4.9 billion in Agatu, with designs and preparatory work completed ahead of commencement.