Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has spoken out about the incident that prevented Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, from visiting the state’s Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp. In an interview with TVC on Thursday, Alia denied any political overtones in the denial and stated that there are procedures for such high-profile visits that must be reviewed before authorization is granted. In his own words, Alia stated that the denial was not a political move but rather a security measure and protection for the people in the IDP camp. “I can never politicize that. I am the one bearing the brunt and the pains and the sorrows of the IDPs in my state,” he said, recalling that Peter Obi had bemoaned the treatment meted out to him by the Benue State Government over his planned visit to camps housing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the state and urged the need to change his approach to political issues.
The very respected Peter Obi was a Governor and if you are coming into someone’s state, there are protocols. A very high personality you are coming into someone’s state and you party does not even know you are coming and I the sitting Governor do not know you are coming and then you are going to where I’m protecting even most, the IDP camp. It’s my duty to protect them, they have been disbalanced and I need to protect them even some more.
“So I don’t know the intent you have. Is it not courteous enough just for me to know as a sitting Governor and even to provide more security to you and to prepare the mind of the IDPs.”
Governor Alia also denied claims by Obi that he couldn’t be reached, adding that if he couldn’t be reached directly, other senior members of his government could have been reached.
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