Governor Hyacinth Alia, has urged Benue people to be put on his toes through constructive criticism for efficient and effective service delivery.
In a statement signed by Alia’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, on Monday in Makurdi, the governor said he would be glad to receive feedback from the public on his activities.
Kula said said the governor was “a very responsible leader and a firm believer in the constitutional rights of citizens, including the right to freedom of expression”.
“Spiteful concoctions ferociously spread on cyberspace under the pretext of political activism, no doubt have the tendencies to impugn the reforms brought in by the Reverend Gentleman.
“In a democracy, reforms sail through when the led believe them, and have confidence in the leader.”
He said there must be however, a clear distinction between freedom of speech and “mischievous fabrications”, and urged the opposition to be constructive in such criticisms.
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“The opposition must argue responsibly. There must be decorum in all engagements, and this should be devoid of lies, fabrications and all shades of blackmail.
“We should be patriotic. If we all agree that Benue is ours, then, we need to put our state first in all our considerations and undertakings.
“Those who genuinely criticise the government, make findings, and ask questions to arrive at their opinions, negative or positive, are friends of the government.
“No human is perfect and as such, since humans lead institutions, every institution is bound to have shortcomings. Your criticism, no matter how daring or fierce, once constructive, will be welcome.
“It is an established standard in legal parlance that he who asserts must prove. People should not use cyberspace for negativity and mischief.
“So when you assert unsubstantiated and baseless allegations against Alia and his government, just get ready to substantiate,” Kula stated.
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