Benue State Governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, has lauded the support of the women of Benue state, acknowledging that he would not have become the governor without them.
Speaking at IBB Square, Makurdi, weekend, during the flag-off of the programme ‘774 Explode, Enhancing Gender Space in Politics’, put together by the office of the National Women Leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governor Alia, expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for being very instrumental to what he has achieved in the state.
The governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula equally thanked wife of the president, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, for her love for Benue, insisting that their programmes for the women and the entire people of the state have made so much difference; making things easier for the government and its people.
He said although the state has no first lady due to his calling as a Reverend Father, all the women of Benue should consider themselves as first ladies of the state, pointing out that as such, there is no vacuum, especially that the women are ably led by the wife of the Deputy Governor, Christie Sam Ode.
He charged the women to key in and take advantage of the many programnes rolled out for the women folks, both from the state and the federal government, such as the ICT training programme, the fertilizer initiative for female farmers, the Renewed Hope Agenda for women, the fashion hub which will soon be commissioned, amongst others.
While charging all the 23 pioneer beneficiaries of the 774 Explode programme in Benue to ensure they excel and make the state proud, the governor made a donation of N500,000 to each of them, urging them to also choose a skill of their preference so that the government would sponsor them.