Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has disclosed the reasons behind his transition from priesthood to politics, shedding light on his motivations and aspirations for the people of Benue.
In an exclusive interview with The Nation, Governor Alia articulated his journey from the sacred to the political realm, addressing the curiosity surrounding his decision and outlining his vision for the state’s future.
Reflecting on his transition, Governor Alia remarked, “Many people have asked similar questions. But the one that thrilled me most was Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State, who taunted me at a time, asking why I temporarily left the cassock to take on the headache of governance. I told him that the answer is quite simple. The church generally has an aim, which is to save souls. The church does not want people to be lost. The aim of my coming into partisan politics is exactly to fulfill that purpose. I came in to save the poor masses of Benue.”
Elaborating further, he emphasized, “Before my advent into partisan politics, too many things were wrong. I had lived a functional 33 years as a priest with my locals. I’ve been in the trenches with them, and the people I love working for the most are the destitute, the poor masses, those who do not have a voice in our society, who are oppressed, suppressed and neglected. God loves everyone and He does not want anybody, particularly the vulnerable groups in any society, abandoned and lost. These are the people that I felt were never cared for.”
Governor Alia, currently serving his first term in the state fondly known as “The food basket of the nation,” is dedicated to addressing the plight of the marginalized and steering Benue towards prosperity.