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On Monday, Peter Obi, the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, raised concerns over what he described as a deliberate attempt by the Benue governor, Hyacinth Alia to frustrate his humanitarian mission to the state.
In a detailed statement shared via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, Obi expressed disappointment over what he perceived as the politicisation of charitable initiatives in Nigeria.
Earlier on Monday, the cautionary statement, titled “Notice Regarding Unscheduled Visit to Benue State,” was issued by Governor Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula. It warned that individuals planning to visit the state without the governor’s knowledge do so at their own risk.
“For anyone considering a visit to Benue State without the governor’s knowledge, it is imperative to reconsider such plans, as the safety and security of individuals in this regard cannot be guaranteed,” the statement read.
Outrage has trailed the action by the Governor Alia-led administration on social media since Monday.
On the X platform, a user, @IkeGod, who expressed anger, said, “Unbelievable! If he is not in charge as the Executive Governor of Benue State, then Rev. Fr. @HyacinthAlia is unqualified to be a public administrator.
“He needs to go back to his calling as a Catholic Priest.
On Facebook, Chidiebube Okeoma pointed out that “Nobody will condemn the infantile action of the Benue state governor against Peter Obi today because he is a Catholic priest.
“If na Pentecostal priest now, everyone for don dey insult and abuse him. Hypocrisy don do us plenty things here.
Many other people stated that the Benue governor was expelled before the 2023 election.
Back To 2022
In May 2022, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, the Most Reverend William Avenya, suspended a Priest in the Dioceses, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, from Public Ministry for getting involved in partisan politics.
His suspension was contained in a letter to all the Priests, Religious and Laity, Catholic Dioceses of Gboko, dated May 20, 2023, and signed by the Bishop titled, “Suspension of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia from Sacred Ministry.”
Part of the suspension letter read “I write to communicate to you the suspension of my priest, Revd. Fr. Hyacinth Lormem Alia from public ministry after a series of admonitions to him.
“The Mother Church does not allow her clerics to get involved in partisan politics on their own. You are aware that my son, your brother and your priest has purchased the party forms to contest for the Office of the Governor of Benue State under the All Progressives’ Congress (APC), which is totally against our vocation.
“Therefore, to respond to the spiritual and pastoral needs of the Church in the Catholic Diocese of Gboko, I have suspended him from the exercise of sacred ministry.
“This canonical suspension takes effect from the moment it is communicated to him and lasts until he ceases from contumacy.”
But reacting to the suspension of the Priest, the Head of Media and Publicity, Alia 2023 Gubernatorial Organization, Mr. Kula Tersoo, in a statement, described the development as “a normal practice of the church.”
Mr. Tersoo, in the statement, said, “Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia wishes to inform members, stakeholders, and leaders of the APC family in Benue state that the suspension order pronounced on him by His Lordship, the Bishop of Gboko Catholic Diocese, William Avenya, is a normal practice of the church. He is implicitly officially freed to go on fully with his strides to rescue Benue from total collapse.
