Benue @ 50: Onjeh calls for elite unity, shared vision for next 50 years

The 2023 APC senatorial candidate for Benue South, Comrade Daniel Onjeh, has called on the political elite in Benue State to embrace unity, continuity in governance and a shared vision for the state’s future as it marks its Golden Jubilee.

In a statement commemorating the conclusion of the week-long activities marking Benue State’s 50th anniversary, Onjeh described the celebration as a historic milestone that should inspire not only celebration but also reflection on the state’s journey and renewed commitment to sustainable development.

According to him, although Benue officially turned 50 on February 3, 2026, the Golden Jubilee celebrations provided an opportunity for the people to honour their past while defining a collective vision for future generations.

Onjeh welcomed the Chief of Staff to the President, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who represented President Bola Tinubu, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, former Vice President Namadi Sambo, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the Emir of Lafia, Justice Sidi Bage Muhammad I, the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ortese Ayatse, the Och’Idoma, Dr. John Elaigwu Odogbo, former Governor Gabriel Suswam, former Deputy Governor Stephen Lawani, Senator Barnabas Gemade, TETFund Executive Secretary Sonny Echono and other dignitaries, saying their presence underscored the national significance of the occasion.

Reflecting on the state’s history, the former Chairman of the Governing Board of the Projects Development Institute (PRODA), Enugu, said Benue’s founding generation built enduring institutions despite inheriting little infrastructure in 1976.

He, however, stressed that one of the key lessons from the state’s development trajectory is the importance of continuity in governance.

“Development is best sustained when successive administrations consolidate existing achievements instead of starting afresh whenever there is a change in leadership,” Onjeh said.

He lamented that political competition in Nigeria’s democracy has often resulted in the abandonment of worthwhile projects initiated by previous administrations, insisting that public policies belong to the people rather than political parties.

“Public policies, programmes, and projects belong to the people and not to political parties or individual office holders and should therefore be sustained wherever they continue to serve the public interest,” he stated.

Calling for greater statesmanship, Onjeh urged political leaders to rise above partisan interests once elections have been concluded.

“While constructive opposition remains an indispensable ingredient of democracy, development should never become partisan,” he said, urging leaders across party lines to support policies and programmes that genuinely advance the state’s development regardless of who initiated them.

Looking ahead, the former President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) said Benue’s next 50 years should prioritise institutional stability, agricultural modernisation, technological innovation, educational excellence, entrepreneurship and deliberate investment in young people.

“The greatest legacy today’s political leaders can leave behind is not the number of elections won or political opponents defeated, but the strength of the institutions they build, the continuity they preserve, and the shared vision they bequeath to future generations,” he said.

Onjeh also called for greater investment in education, skills acquisition, leadership development and technology to prepare the next generation of leaders, while urging all ethnic groups in the state to promote peaceful coexistence and unity.

He commended Governor Hyacinth Alia for initiating the Benue @50 celebration, saying the programme reminded the people of their history while inspiring them to chart “a bold and shared vision” for the future.

“The greatest tribute Benue people can pay to the founding fathers of the state is not merely to celebrate what they accomplished over the last fifty years, but to resolve, in unity and with a shared vision, to leave behind a stronger, more prosperous, more peaceful, and more united Benue for those who will celebrate the state’s centenary fifty years from now,” Onjeh added.

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