By Sunny Onyekwere, 3 December, 2025
Some students of Gbemacha extraction studying in higher institutions of learning across the globe have strongly condemned what they termed as ‘excessive’ legislative actions against their representative and the people of Gboko West at the State House of Assembly.
They noted that the alleged excessive legislative actions against their representative was not only undemocratic, but aimed at stifling their voice in the Benue State House of Assembly.
Gboko West State Constituency is represented by the former Speaker, Rt. Hon Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh who after his resignation, the House slammed a three months suspension on him which he served out and has extended it by another 6 months
The student group, who made the condemnation in a text after a press conference on Tuesday, frowned at the manner the administration has breached every known democratic convention and even the Nigerian Constitution, just to get at perceived enemies.
It particularly expressed worry that an administration which rode to power on the popular will of the people could so easily resort to using the paraphernalia of government against the very people who helped it to power.
Their text read in part: “We students of Gbemacha extraction studying in higher institutions of learning across the globe have watched with great concern, emerging issues in the Benue State House of Assembly especially as they affect our constituency and our representative, Rt. Hon Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh. These developments have assumed a dimension where silence is no longer golden and we have consequently decided to stand up for justice and the future of our people.
“The people of Gbemacha massively voted Rt. Hon. Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh as our representative in 2023. He enjoyed massive support across party lines owing to his sincerity of purpose and antecedents as a man of the people. We want to assure you and the people of Benue State that the support is still intact. It is in view of this that the people of Gbemacha hugely celebrated his elevation as Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly believing that he would translate those outstanding features into developing his people and constituency.
“You all will agree with us and from testimonies across the state that Rt. Hon Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh had performed excellently as Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly and as representative of the people of Gbemacha. He attracted a lot of projects within his constituency and beyond, empowered youth and women as well as scholarship for Gbemacha Students. He was courageous in upholding the core legislative mandate of oversight and still remained loyal and committed to the leadership of governor Hyacinth Alia.
“The Gbemacha students were therefore, surprised that despite his outstanding performance and loyalty to Governor Hyacinth Alia, our representative was not only unceremoniously removed as Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, but was also handed a three months suspension from all legislative functions. Despite the apparent high handedness, he served the suspension without revolt. We consider it a clear abuse of power that the assembly extended his suspension for another six months, bringing his total suspension from legislative functions to nine months.
“There are several judicial authorities and legislative precedence that are clearly against this kind of excessive actions by the Benue State House of Assembly.
“We are surprised that in the face of all these, Rt. Hon Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh has chosen and preached the path of peace while Governor Hyacinth Alia who is a clergy and leader in the state continues to be the aggressor, forcing narratives against the former speaker. We consider this to be a systemic way of excluding us from the scheme of things in Benue state as many other Gbemacha sons and daughters have lost their jobs.
“Even the commissioner position given to our constituency has been taken away. As things stand at the moment, there is no position in Gbemacha that is commensurate with the position of Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly which speaks to the strategic plan to exclude us by a government led by our own son.
The Gbemacha students therefore express deep solidarity and support to their representative, Rt Hon Hyacinth Aondona Dajoh in recognition of his sterling performance as Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, and representative of the people of Gbemacha.
“We pledge our loyalty and commitment to his leadership ideals which brought accelerated growth and transformation in our constituency in the past two years and some months.
“We call on Governor Hyacinth Alia to in the interest of justice, peace, democracy, good governance, and the well-being of the people of Gbemacha restore our voice to the Benue State House of Assembly”.
