The governor advised youths to take advantage of the ongoing construction work across the state to engage themselves by working with companies to earn money
By Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Benue State governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, has expressed displeasure over activities of people especially youths in Makurdi metropolis who have formed the habit of extorting money from developers in the name of matching ground and warned them to stop the attitude and embrace hard work or face prosecution.
Governor Alia who gave the warning last Saturday when he spoke at a dinner in honour of Members of Conference of Benue Journalists, CBJ, Abuja, in the state on a facility visit to see for themselves projects embarked upon by the present administration, described the trend as counterproductive.
He said the attitude was capable of chasing away investors as well as preventing outsiders and other people who are indigenes from developing the state, stressing that his administration would not condone such practices.
The governor advised youths to take advantage of the ongoing construction work across the state to engage themselves by working with companies to earn money to sustain their lives and also provide for their families, announcing that his administration would soon carry out recruitment exercise in the state civil service to fill existing vacancies and called on people particularly youths to be patient with government.
He equally disclosed during the dinner that his administration intends to revamp moribund industries no matter the cost implications to create more job opportunities to youths, assuring the youths that every qualified person would get a job no matter his background.
The governor also announced the revival of Benue Micro Finance Bank with changes in its name and the management team for people to have confidence in the new system, acquire loans to grow their businesses for improved standard of living.
He urged members of CBJ Abuja to focus on investigative journalism as well as guide against fake news to project policies of his administration in positive light, describing fake news as deadly and cancerous and appealed for their support in the task of fixing the new Benue.
In a remark, leader of the delegation and president of CBJ Abuja, Emmanuel Anule, informed the governor that they were in the state to see things for themselves what the governor has done within the period under review, adding that the aim of the group is to promote, project and defend the interest of Benue as indigenes of the state, appealing that the governor remain resolute in the task of providing dividends of democracy to Benue people.
The group during the occasion decorated Governor Alia as its grand patron, while Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mathew Abo, appealed to journalists to be positive in their reportage as well as crosscheck facts before going to the press.