Continuity Fails Benue, Byuan Faults System, Advocates Reform Agenda

A candidate for governor and a candidate in the 2023 Benue governorship contest, Dr. Mathias Byuan, has stated that the state’s current governance structure is no longer viable.

Speaking in an exclusive interview at his home yesterday, Byuan claimed that Benue State is struggling with a seriously defective government structure that has grown reactive, over-centralized, and estranged from the people it is supposed to represent, rather than a few isolated policy errors. “Benue governance has fundamentally collapsed,” Byuan stated.

“Political survival, not long-term planning, is what drives decisions. Spending public funds has little discernible effect on fundamental services, livelihoods, or security.

To stay in this system is to put up with institutional weakness and stagnation. Instead of just replacing political actors, Byuan, who ran for governor in 2023 and is putting himself in a position to win the next election, stated that his fresh ambition is motivated by the need to rethink how government functions.

He says that the fact that insecurity has persisted despite years of significant public spending, the steady collapse of productive industries like agriculture, and the degradation of the civil service are the best indicators that Benue needs a new direction.

He questioned, “After years of massive security budgets, how do you explain ongoing killings and displacement?” “How do you defend a civil service that is politicized, underpaid, and demoralized, or an agricultural state where farming hardly succeeds beyond subsistence?”

When a government consistently fails to provide fundamental services, boost the economy, and safeguard lives, Byuan contended that poor execution is no longer the only cause of the issue. “That’s systemic failure,” he said.

Byuan vehemently denied that his aim stems from personal gain, insisting that his goal is institutional transformation, not running for politics. He stated, “This is not about taking over Government House.”

Rebuilding institutions, establishing performance standards, and holding the government responsible for outcomes are all important. Previous governments prioritized short-term projects and individuals. Systems are my main emphasis.

He identified three fundamental structural flaws that have contributed to Benue’s governance issues over the past 10 years: a political culture that values loyalty over ability, planning and budgeting procedures that aren’t linked to results, and institutions that rely more on people than on regulations.
The political climate in Benue is not new to Byuan.

He previously stood for office and was one of the candidates for governor in the 2023 election. He contributes what he calls a technical background formed by academic training and public service, which goes beyond partisan politics.

As the Executive Director, Housing (Finance and Accounts) at the Federal Housing Authority, Byuan, who holds a PhD in Business Administration (Finance), has experience overseeing institutional systems and public finance at the federal level.

He claimed that his background in public administration strengthened his conviction that, in the absence of robust institutions, leadership cannot bring about long-lasting change. He stated, “If the system is weak, you can have good intentions and still fail.”

Byuan expanded on these findings and described the institutional changes he would like to see if elected.

He stressed that policies cannot be successful without the structures that support them and declared that institutional transformation would be the cornerstone of his government.

He declared, “Policies fail without strong institutions.” “Only when systems reward appropriate behavior do mindsets change.”

He revealed intentions to digitalize public finance, decentralize service delivery, fortify local governments, and implement transparent procurement and monitoring mechanisms that let the public keep tabs on government initiatives and expenditures.

He claims that his proposed governance model is performance-driven and people-centered, with public officials being regularly evaluated and budgets linked to quantifiable results.

In response to questions regarding the sustainability of reforms, Byuan stated that significant change needs to be ingrained in institutional structures, legislation, and technology.

He claimed that once procedures and performance standards are established, they become permanent.

He also stated that public scorecards, independent audits, clear performance indicators for ministries and agencies, and penalties for non-performance would all be used to ensure accountability. Regarding deeply ingrained political interests, he argued that vested interests would inevitably be weakened by systemic reform rather than individual targeting.

“Vested interests naturally lose influence when budgeting, hiring, and procurement become transparent and rule-based,” he stated.

According to Byuan, the effects of reform should be noticeable during the first two years of a government, especially in the areas of public service delivery, agriculture, and security.

“Farmers ought to feel more secure and have access to markets and extension services.” Better welfare and merit-based promotions should be provided to civil officials. “Better infrastructure and less harassment should benefit traders,” he said.

He continued by saying that timely grievance procedures, frequent town hall meetings, and institutionalized citizen feedback mechanisms will all help to restore public trust.

He stated, “When the government is honest, controls expectations, produces results, and owns up to its mistakes, trust grows.”

When Byuan considered how he wanted his time to be remembered, he stated that Benue needed to transition from administration driven by politics to leadership driven by purpose, from weak institutions to strong ones, and from broken promises to quantifiable progress.

He said that the people must henceforth be served by the government, not the other way around.