PRESIDENT TINUBU’S TRIBUTE TO GOVERNOR HYACINTH ALIA ON HIS 60TH BIRTHDAY

I congratulate Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, an ordained priest and  Governor of Benue State, on his 60th birthday, celebrated on May 15.

Governor Alia’s political journey is simply that of faith made manifest. Ordained a Catholic priest in 1990 by Bishop Athanasius Atule Usuh of Makurdi Catholic Diocese, Alia’s principled character, compassion, and unwavering dedication to God and humanity have endeared him to the people of the state.

It was no surprise that his people, whom he had long served faithfully in the vineyard of the Most High, elected him as their governor in 2023, following in the footsteps of Very Reverend Father Moses Orshio Adasu, who served as governor of Benue State from 1992 to 1993.

I commend Governor Alia for his transformative efforts to industrialise the state and expand its road network. Benue State, famously Nigeria’s food basket, now has tomato and fruit juice, beer, nylon and polythene factories, as well as a large-scale bakery, providing jobs for its people and adding value to its agricultural products. The iconic underpasses in Makurdi and Gboko have also eased traffic and improved urban life.

Under Alia’s leadership, Benue has established a university of agriculture, science and technology and invested in improving facilities at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital.

I also commend the Reverend Father for ensuring peace and stability in Benue, and particularly for his peace-building initiatives and endeavours to foster unity among the people of the state and his political family.

Reverend Alia has demonstrated that when the pulpit comes to power, positive change is possible.

I encourage him to sustain and deepen his peace-building and security initiatives, expand welfare programmes, and continue infrastructure development to uplift even more people across Benue State.

As Reverend Alia celebrates this milestone, I join family, friends, and the people of Benue State in wishing him many more years of good health and strength as he continues to serve the state and the nation.

Bola Ahmed Tinubu

President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces

Federal Republic of Nigeria

May 14, 2026