News Editor
My attention has been drawn to a misleading and politically motivated report alleging that my participation in the recent Good Governance tour of development projects in Benue State is a plot to facilitate the defection of Governor Hyacinth Alia from the APC to the PDP.
This claim is entirely false, malicious, and should be dismissed with the contempt it deserves. It is an unfortunate attempt to politicize a sincere, non-partisan initiative.
The Good Governance Tour is a professional effort designed to shift the focus of political leaders – across all parties and at all levels – away from endless political quarrels towards the urgent need for development and service delivery, particularly to the grassroots.
This concept is not new. It began during my time as Minister of Information, when I initiated the National Good Governance Tour, as a non-partisan platform for assessing and showcasing development efforts by incumbent leaders across the country.
Prof Jerry Gana also undertook a nationwide media tour during his time as the Minister of information and National Orientation.
At that time, it became clear that our political space was dominated by power tussles and not enough attention was being paid by political actors and the media to the real needs of the people.
The tour helped many leaders to refocus on their core mandate, which was service to the people.
As sitting Minister then, I led journalists to states governed by different political parties, and the feedback was very encouraging. Several state Governors confessed that the tour prompted them to take their development agenda more seriously.
Since leaving office, I have remained concerned about the continued lack of priority attention to governance. Media coverage today is saturated with political insults, inter and intra-part party wrangling, and reports about persistent insecurity, while genuine development receives little focus.
It was in response to this troubling trend that I reached out to like-minded professionals, including Dr. Mike Omeri, former DG of the National Orientation Agency, to revive the good governance tour as a tool for civic accountability and public engagement.
We have approached political leaders across party lines, requesting permission to assess and showcase their projects and policies. A number of them have responded positively. The Governor of Benue State, Rev (Dr) Hyacinth Alia happened to be the first to officially invite us to tour his state.
The Governance Tour of Benue was conducted transparently and broadcast across multiple media platforms. It included a lively town hall where citizens directly engaged the government, asked tough questions, and received honest answers on development and security efforts.
We have since received a wave of positive feedback from citizens across Nigeria, many of whom are urging us to bring the good governance tour to their own states. The widespread enthusiasm underscores the importance of what we are doing.
Let me be clear: No part of our mission to Benue State involved persuading Governor Alia to switch political parties. That narrative is absolute fiction. Those who know him understand that he is not driven by desperation for 2027, but by a burning desire to serve.
We are far more interested in promoting development initiatives and concrete service delivery by our leaders than in the endless cycle of political scheming and bitter power games.
I encourage Nigerians to stay focused on the tour’s real purpose: which is to showcase credible governance and accountable leadership.
We remain committed to keeping the Good Governance Tour transparently non-partisan, results-focused, and open to all leaders across partly lines who have something to show the Nigerian people.
We appeal to our detractors not to use the governance tour to distract Governor Alia from the commendable work he has started in Benue State.
HE Labaran Maku (CON)
Former Minister of Information & Defence
