… Alia blackmailed by paid agents – aide
By Msurshima Andrew, Makurdi
A Christian group in Benue state, Forum of Concerned Christians, (FCC), has dragged the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, over alleged insults of the Catholic Bishop of Makurdi Diocese, His Lordship, Most Rev. Wilfred Anagbe, by his supporters.
A statement signed by the group’s President, Augustine Aende and Secretary, Oliver Shaminja, condemned the smear campaign on the bishop on social media in the state and urged Fr Alia to call his supporters to order.
The group expressed worry that most of those insulting the Bishop on social media have the image of the APC governorship candidate as their profile pictures.
They urged the APC governorship candidate to warn his supporters to desist from such campaigns of calumny against the Bishop and concentrate on marketing his candidature and agenda to the Benue people.
Reacting, the APC guber candidate, Fr Hyacinth Alia, described the accusation of his supporters insulting the Makurdi Catholic bishop and any other opponents as unfounded and a figment of the group’s imagination.
In a statement signed by his Director on Media, Kula Tersoo, Alia said he holds the sanctity of the church in high esteem and it’s line of authority in very high regard.
The statement read in part, “We are aware of the devilish mechanization of his political opponents who are using pseudo accounts and paying willing blackmailers on social media to emboss his images as profile pictures.
“These accounts are then used casting aspersions and insults on respected institutions and individuals with the sole aim of smearing the innocent reverend gentleman.
“The conspiracies, vicious attempts for distraction, crude propaganda, luciferous concoctions will keep coming against him and his team.
“As we approach the finishing line, it is going to get messier, hotter and more vicious.
“The conspirators and vicious circle who are averse to liberation will up their games of mischief and play the best strategies to scuttle the RESCUE, RESET & RESTORE project of the Benue people.
“We call on all Benue people never to waver. Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia and his team has already batten down the hatches. We must complete the task, no matter the storm,” the statement said.
