Nigeria’s Benue Gov slams petition to Pope

Nigeria

Benue State Governor in Nigeria’s north, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has outrightly dismissed the petition sent by Joseph Waya, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA gubernatorial candidate in 2023, to Pope Leo XIV. 

Joseph Waya earlier in the week sent a petition to Rome which accuses Governor Alia of misconduct and tarnishing the Catholic Church’s reputation in Nigeria,

Governor Hyacinth Alia who is a Catholic Priest however dismissed the petition and described it as a vindictive and empty political ploy.

Waya’s petition, routed through the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Michael Francis Crotty, claimed that Governor Alia’s actions had brought shame to the Catholic Church. But in a strongly worded response, Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, branded the allegations as gossip built on bitterness, not worth any formal reply.

The governor’s office urged the public to see through what it called a desperate move by a frustrated politician. “This petition is a product of personal vendetta disguised as religious concern,” the statement read, highlighting the attempt to drag the Catholic Church into political mudslinging.

Kula also pointed out the glaring absence of credible evidence in Waya’s claims. Instead of referencing official reports from the Auditor-General, anti-corruption bodies like the EFCC, or budget documents, Waya relied heavily on unverified online blogs. This, the governor’s team said, exposes the petition as mere hearsay and speculation.

Contrary to Waya’s assertion that the Alia administration has no real projects to show, the governor’s spokesperson detailed ongoing major road constructions and numerous human-focused developments across Benue communities. Salaries and pensions are paid promptly, health centers rehabilitated, schools upgraded, and teachers’ welfare improved.

Waya was also criticized for failing to contribute to development in his own ancestral home in Vandeikya Local Government Area. Notably, the first motorized borehole installed by the Benue State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency in Mbakegh came courtesy of Governor Alia’s administration.

The statement dismantled Waya’s claim that the “No Alia, No Benue” slogan signals violent militias, clarifying it is simply a grassroots political chant of support. Similarly, accusations of violence and intimidation against political opponents were dismissed as unsubstantiated and lacking any security agency corroboration.

Alia’s office refuted allegations that the governor dismantled the anti-open grazing law, stressing that the law remains active and enforced. The tragic Yelewata killings were cited as part of wider insecurity in the Middle Belt, warning against politicizing such incidents to malign the governor.

Finally, the governor’s team emphasized that no Catholic Bishop or the Vatican has criticized Alia, branding Waya’s petition as a selfish political stunt stemming from his defeat and desperation to regain relevance. They urged the public to reject Waya’s petition as a hollow lamentation filled with bitterness, while reaffirming Governor Alia’s commitment to development and unity in Benue State.