Alia dissolves Benue cabinet, appoints new chief of staff

|By Adejumo Adekunle

…Only chief of staff position retained in sweeping shake-up
…Outgoing commissioners urged to remain loyal to the party

Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has dissolved the state executive council, retaining only the position of Chief of Staff. The new chief of staff is Barr. Moses Atagher, a former Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, who also served as acting Managing Director of the Federal Mortgage Bank.

The announcement was made at the close of the 12th executive council meeting of 2025. According to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Terso Kula, the dissolution affects all commissioners while other aides and officials remain unaffected.

Governor Alia commended the outgoing commissioners for their service over the past two years and urged those who may not be reappointed to stay committed to the party and continue supporting his administration.

“The government appreciates your contributions. Even if you don’t return, remain active in the party and help us build a better Benue,” Alia told the former cabinet members.

Barr. Bemsen Mnyim, who spoke on behalf of the dissolved commissioners, thanked the governor for the opportunity to serve. He described the past two years as a rewarding learning experience.

The former commissioners have been directed to hand over all official documents and responsibilities to the permanent secretaries in their respective ministries.

With this move, political watchers say Alia may be repositioning his government for a mid-term review of performance and to refocus for the remainder of his tenure.