Governor Alia Launches Wheelbarrow Empowerment Scheme in Benue

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has officially launched a wheelbarrow distribution program as part of his administration’s grassroots empowerment initiative.

According to the Governor, the scheme is designed to promote small-scale entrepreneurship across the 23 local government areas of the state. A government house source revealed that the wheelbarrows have already been allocated to the various LGAs, where they will be distributed to selected beneficiaries — primarily targeting women and youths — under the coordination of local government councils.

However, the initiative has sparked widespread criticism and disappointment among Benue residents, many of whom believe the gesture falls far short of the state’s pressing needs.

“Our beloved women and mothers in Benue are being handed hoes and wheelbarrows to push in motor parks and markets, as palliatives to ‘alleviate poverty’,” a concerned citizen lamented. “In an era where mechanized farming has become standard, are we seriously pushing our women back centuries? Someone explain this to me. I’m speechless.”

A local farmer, who spoke under anonymity, questioned the Governor’s priorities. “A government that has yet to roll out fertilizer or agricultural inputs for the current farming season shouldn’t be talking about wheelbarrows as empowerment,” he said.

As reactions continue to trail the program, many citizens are urging Governor Alia to reassess his administration’s development strategies and deliver initiatives that truly address the economic challenges faced by the people of Benue.