Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, is facing mounting criticism after the state government distributed branded wheelbarrows to women as part of a rural empowerment initiative.

The items, labeled “Hyacinth Cares,” were distributed last week to women involved in farming and petty trading.

According to state officials, the gesture was designed to ease produce transportation and enhance economic resilience in rural communities facing worsening security conditions.

The wheelbarrows are said to be constructed with steel frames and have a 100-litre capacity, aimed at aiding mobility and supporting local livelihoods.

However, the initiative has sparked outrage on social media and within the state, with many critics arguing that the programme is demeaning and fails to address more pressing needs such as poverty alleviation, insecurity, access to credit, and improved agricultural infrastructure.

The backlash has also revived memories of a similar scheme under former Governor Samuel Ortom in 2017, which involved distributing wheelbarrows to youths, a move that was heavily criticized at the time.

While some have described the wheelbarrow distribution as a symbolic and insufficient gesture, others have called for more meaningful and sustainable interventions, including provision of fertilisers, investment in mechanized farming, and improving access to financial services.

Former Publicity Secretary of the APC in Benue State, Dan-Morgan Ihomun, condemned the initiative, saying the state’s priorities were misplaced.

“On the wheelbarrows saga, I think the Benue State government should have rather provided fertilisers to farmers. Fertilisers are more important at these times,” he said.

In defense of the government, a statement released on July 21, 2025, by Comrade Ngorngor Talento, Media and Publicity Aide to the ALGOVC Chairman, highlighted other components of the empowerment efforts.

The statement disclosed that Deputy Chairman of Vandeikya Local Government and ALGOVC Chairperson in Benue, Rt. Hon. Janet Hembafan Orukuna, also distributed farm inputs under the Renewed Hope Initiative, a nationwide agricultural support programme spearheaded by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

“The Deputy Chairman of Vandeikya Local Government and Algovc Chairman Benue State Chapter, Rt. Hon. Janet Hembafan Orukuna, has successfully distributed farm inputs to beneficiaries in the local government area.

The intervention is part of the Renewed Hope Initiative, a nationwide agricultural support programme championed by the First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

The distribution took place at the Vandeikya Local Government Secretariat, where the Deputy Chairman emphasised the importance of agriculture in rural development and food security.

She applauded the First Lady’s visionary leadership and expressed her commitment to ensuring that the initiative reaches the grassroots,” the statement read.

The statement added that “Beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the support, describing the gesture as timely and impactful for the farming season.”

Despite attempts to frame the initiative as part of a broader agricultural intervention, public perception remains divided, with many calling for more strategic approaches to rural development and women’s empowerment in Benue State.

The newly redeployed Enugu State Commissioner for Information, Dr. Malachy Agbo, has called on staff of the ministry to renew their commitment to professionalism and effective communication of the government’s initiatives and programmes.

Addressing management and staff during his inaugural meeting at the Ministry, Dr. Agbo underscored the critical role of the Information Ministry in ensuring that citizens remain well-informed about ongoing government interventions aimed at enhancing good governance.

“The Enugu State Government, led by Dr. Peter Ndubuisi Mbah, is doing a lot to improve the lot of Ndi Enugu. Therefore, it is our duty to ensure that the people of the state are inundated with good governance news. We must disseminate information across all channels, engage the public, and ensure that facts are not distorted by mischief makers,” he stated.

Highlighting the essence of his reassignment, Agbo said it was to bolster public enlightenment and understanding of the government’s transformative programmes across sectors.

He stressed the importance of the ministry’s mandate and the need to execute it with diligence and unity.

“Everyone in this team has experience and strengths that will enable us to deliver on our mandate. We should strive to leverage our collective strengths to inform the public and set the records straight at all times,” he added.

Dr. Agbo assured staff that the ministry’s structural challenges would be addressed through a thorough evaluation of its operations, including a potential reallocation of duties to optimize performance and maximize individual capacities.

He expressed gratitude to Governor Peter Mbah for entrusting him with the position and pledged to work collaboratively with all ministry personnel to deliver timely and accurate information to the public.

Describing the meeting as interactive, he encouraged staff to remain steadfast, professional, and united in the pursuit of the ministry’s objectives.

Responding on behalf of the staff, the Head of Department for Administration and Supplies, Mrs. Ugochukwu Adimora, welcomed the Commissioner and expressed the ministry’s readiness to support his leadership.

“We pledge our support to the Commissioner in achieving the administration’s goals of keeping the public informed about the state government’s policies and programmes in a timely and accurate manner,” she said.

Senator Monday Okpebholo, Governor of Edo State, declared at a campaign rally in Igueben Local Government Area that his administration will begin commissioning a slew of completed projects, aiming to highlight the shortcomings of his predecessor, Godwin Obaseki.

Thanking APC supporters and new defectors, the governor emphasized renewed confidence in state governance:

“I want to thank all members of APC in Igueben Local Government Area. I want to thank the people who decided to say Edo is working again.”

Okpebholo promised an ambitious project commissioning plan:

“Very soon, we will replicate what Nyesom Wike is doing in the Federal Capital Territory by commissioning projects for a whole month. We are planning that in Edo State. We will soon commence the commissioning of completed projects across the three senatorial districts of the State.”

He didn’t hold back in criticizing the former administration:

“The past government said they were going to do a seaport; they never did a half‑kilometer. But today, we are doing it. We are constructing roads across Edo.”

Setting a bold benchmark, the governor affirmed: “We are going to do what they could not do for eight years in one year. Our work will speak for us.”

Highlighting the growing momentum within APC, Okpebholo interpreted recent defections as a sign of shifting political tides:

“They decided that the only way they can pay us back is to come and join us. Today, the narrative is changing.”

He added: “That means my promise of 2.5 million votes to the President comes 2027 is possible.”

Among the high-profile defectors received were Hon. Eugene Inegbobho (member representing Igueben in the Edo State House of Assembly), Hon. Felix Omi Imoisili (a two‑time council chairman and former PDP state secretary), and Hon. Sylvanus Igbogbo.

They were welcomed by Gen. Cecil Isekhaigbe (rtd), APC leader in Edo Central, and Jarret Tenebe, the party’s state chairman.

Political economist and public affairs analyst, Professor Pat Utomi, has come down hard on the National Assembly for approving a controversial borrowing plan exceeding $29 billion.

The economist warned that such unchecked debt accumulation could jeopardize Nigeria’s future and called for a constitutional overhaul mandating a balanced budget except when projected returns outweigh amortisation costs.

Speaking in Lagos, Utomi pointed to rampant corruption and poor governance as core drivers of Nigeria’s economic decay.

He pushed for “new thinking” in public service, urging the adoption of blockchain technology and the recruitment of individuals with proven integrity.

The borrowing decision has ignited a storm of reactions across the political landscape.

Defending the administration, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, responded to the backlash over the $22.5 billion loan approved by the National Assembly, stressing that the Ministry of Finance had already provided detailed information two months prior.

“Effective opposition requires engagement based on verifiable facts and precise analysis, rather than relying on lies, misleading narratives or unsubstantiated claims,” Onanuga wrote on X.

He described much of the criticism as baseless, arguing that constructive discourse should be rooted in analytical scrutiny, not misinformation.

However, Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi sharply disagreed with the government’s portrayal of the economic situation.

In a statement, he accused the Tinubu administration of manipulating data to obscure the nation’s worsening financial state.

“Tinubu’s administration is attempting to put a positive spin on the deteriorating economic and household conditions in Nigeria,” Obi said, alleging the government is misrepresenting statistics on inflation, unemployment, and GDP rebasing.

He pointed to a 2022 campaign remark by President Tinubu, where he reportedly dismissed data analysis with the phrase:

“Na statistics we go chop? All I want is to put food on the table of Nigerians.”

Obi lamented that despite such promises, Nigeria now ranks among the world’s hungriest countries, with millions facing daily struggles to meet basic needs.

He underscored the qualities he believes are vital for leadership:

“Governance is not rocket science; it’s not a gamble. Like I have always reiterated, it requires sincerity of purpose, character, competence, capacity and compassion.”