By Donald Kumun
On Saturday, November 23, 2024, the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, welcomed a delegation of 42 students from the Commonwealth Club of Federal Government Girls’ College (FGGC), Gboko, to the Government House, in Makurdi.
This visit provided the students with a unique opportunity to engage directly with the Governor and gain insights into governance and civic responsibilities.
The Governor began the session by elucidating the significance of various symbols of authority within the Nigerian governmental framework. He highlighted the importance of the national flag, the Coat of Arms, and the national Anthem (which the students sang at the close of the Excursion), emphasizing their roles in fostering national identity and unity. He explained that these symbols serve as reminders of the nation’s sovereignty and the collective aspirations of its people.
Delving into the structure of governance, Governor Alia outlined the three arms of government: the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary. He described the Executive as responsible for implementing laws and policies, the Legislature for making Laws, and the Judiciary for interpreting Laws and ensuring justice.
He also stressed the importance of the separation of powers, noting that this system is designed to prevent the concentration of authority and to promote accountability and checks and balances within the government, attracting the attention of the students who all took their books and writing materials, and jotted down His Excellency’s narrations.
He provided an overview of portraits of past Governors, since the creation of Benue State, in 1976, as well as key appointees, detailing their roles and portfolios, and contributions to the state’s administration.
The Governor mentioned the Deputy Governor, Dr. Samuel Ode, who assists in overseeing various state functions and represents him at State official functions, whenever the need arises. He also highlighted the roles of commissioners heading various ministries, such as Education, Health, and Agriculture etc, each responsible for implementing policies and programs in their respective sectors.
Addressing the students’ curiosity about ongoing development projects, Governor Alia outlined several initiatives aimed at improving the state’s infrastructure and economy. He discussed the commencement of road construction projects, such as the Captain Dawn’s Road in Gboko, initiated on November 7, 2023, to enhance connectivity and boost local commerce.
His Excellency also mentioned efforts to revitalize the agricultural sector, recognizing it as a cornerstone of Benue’s economy. He spoke about programs designed to support farmers, improve crop yields, and promote agro-based industries, thereby creating employment opportunities and ensuring food security.
In the education sector, Governor Alia reaffirmed his commitment to enhancing educational facilities and resources recounting his visit to FGGC Gboko on July 6, 2024.
He disclosed that, hosting the delegation are part of a broader strategy to promote girl-child education and empower young women to become future leaders.
Governor Alia charged the students to be exemplary ambassadors of Nigeria, even as he encouraged them to uphold values of integrity, diligence, and patriotism in all their endeavors. The Governor reminded them that as members of the Commonwealth Club, they represent not only their school but also the nation on a global stage. He urged them to embrace the opportunities before them, pursue excellence in their studies, and contribute positively to society.
Following the Governor’s address, the floor was opened for an interactive session by him, and the students posed insightful questions about gov ernance, leadership, and the role of youth in nation-building. Governor Alia responded thoughtfully, sharing personal anecdotes from his priesthood, the journey into public service and offering advice on leadership and civic responsibility.
He encouraged the students to stay informed about current affairs, participate actively in community development, and consider careers in public service to effect positive change.
The Governor also informed the students that, his engagement with them, exemplifies his commitment to youth empowerment and education, sighting instances of the monumental track records of his administration to priotize the education of young talented minds to include; facilitation of the participation of four Benue Students, who formed part of the national delegation that represented Nigeria at the bilateral international debate competition held in Jakarta, Indonesia, organised for basic education learners under the auspices of the President, School Debate Nigeria (PSDN), when the students won and brought home, two Trophies and presented to him, at Government House, Makurdi. The students were Sonia Aduba, Ogenyi Favour, Samuel Ochara, and Ruth Suurshater.
He also recalled for the students’ encouragement, another giant stride recorded by him, to promote global competition amongst the Benue students community, when five (5) students, from the State, drawn from the Federal Government College, Vandeikya, represented Nigeria at the Robotic and Artificial Intelligence Club, known as “The Vande Coders”, in Hong Kong, China, this year.
In this competition too, he told the FGGC Students that, the Vande Coders, at the close of the event which held on August 4, 2024, competed with other students from over 20 countries and won “The Best Core Value Awards”, which according to him, is One of the four (4) categories of awards won in the competition.
The Governor expressed satisfaction that the award is significant to him because, it showcases the team spirit of the team through; Innovation, Discovery, and Impact of Application of Robotic project design, and assured that he would visit Federal Government College (FGC), Vandeikya, and make a pronouncement, for their rewards, on behalf of the State Government.
The Vande Coders were qualified to represent the country, having featured at the regional level (North Central, North East, and North West), For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Lego League Robotic and Artificial Intelligence Competition, organised by Coderina Educational Technology Foundation of the Federal Ministry of Education in Kaduna State, where they emerged 2nd position to compete at the national level, at the M.K.O Abiola National Stadium, Abuja.
Governor Alia, after rounding up the Excursion session with the Commonwealth Club students, took them round to key symbols and emblems in Government House, explaining their meanings and significance. He had just returned from the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) meeting, from Abuja, and drove straight to meet with the students.
The Patron of Commonwealth Club of the School, Mr. Odu Joseph, who introduced the students to the Governor and the essence of the Club, explained that, the club is one of the 18 clubs that exists in all the 115 Federal Government Colleges, in the Country.
According to him, as an extra curricular activities, the Club promotes the ideals and vision of Commonwealth associated with by leaders of Nations, globally. He said the Club is so important to the Federal Ministry of Education giving that Nigeria is an active member of Commonwealth.
The purpose of the visit to the Governor, he said, was to identify with him, learn from his wealth of knowledge and experience, having achieved so much within just One Year and some months of his administration, to encourage the girls and prepare them to take on leadership roles in future.
That the institution initiated the move to visit the Governor in realization of his number 4 of his 7-point agenda, which is totally in line with the mandate and ideals of Commonwealth Club, to gain from him on how he was able to transform the state with a record time even with meagre resources available to him in the State.
The visit of the Federal Government Girls’ College Gboko, will not doubt, leave a lasting impression on the students, for thrilled more than 3hours attention that the Governor passionately provided to interface with them. Many of them expressed their appreciation for the Governor’s openness and the opportunity to learn firsthand information (for the first time from him directly), about the workings of government. The experience and exposure has deepened their understanding of governance, and would inspire them to contribute to the nation’s progress, as they study to achieve their various educational careers.
Therefore, by demystifying governmental processes, and encouraging active citizenship, Governor Alia has inspired a new generation to take pride in their heritage and to work diligently towards a prosperous future for Benue State, and Nigeria as a whole.
•Kumun, is the Principal Special Assistant to the Governor on Print Media.
