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Benue Governor Under Fire for Distributing Branded Wheelbarrows as Women’s Empowerment Tools

Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, is facing widespread criticism over a recent empowerment initiative that saw the distribution of branded wheelbarrows to women in the state. The wheelbarrows, labelled “Hyacinth Cares” and featuring steel frames with a 100-litre capacity, were handed out to women engaged in agriculture and petty trading. Government officials say […]

Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, is facing widespread criticism over a recent empowerment initiative that saw the distribution of branded wheelbarrows to women in the state.

The wheelbarrows, labelled “Hyacinth Cares” and featuring steel frames with a 100-litre capacity, were handed out to women engaged in agriculture and petty trading. Government officials say the gesture aims to enhance mobility and economic resilience in rural areas, particularly as insecurity continues to disrupt farming and local commerce.

However, the initiative has sparked backlash on social media and among political stakeholders, with critics describing it as tone-deaf and an insult to the dignity of women. Many argue that such a move fails to tackle the root causes of poverty, insecurity, poor infrastructure, and lack of access to finance.

“This is not empowerment, it’s humiliation,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter). “Benue women deserve access to credit, security, and real economic opportunities — not branded wheelbarrows.”

The controversy has also drawn comparisons to a similar episode under former Governor Samuel Ortom in 2017, when branded wheelbarrows were distributed under a youth empowerment programme — a move that was also widely condemned at the time.

Some supporters, however, have defended the latest effort, calling it a practical response to the transportation needs of women in rural communities.

Meanwhile, Dan-Morgan Ihomun, a former Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue State, criticised the gesture, stating that the government should have prioritised agricultural inputs.

“Wheelbarrows are not what our farmers need right now. Fertiliser and improved security would make a real difference,” Ihomun said.

In a related development, the Deputy Chairman of Vandeikya Local Government Area, Rt. Hon. Janet Hembafan Orukuna, recently distributed farm inputs to farmers under the Renewed Hope Initiative — a national agricultural support programme championed by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu.

The distribution, which took place at the Vandeikya Local Government Secretariat, was described as timely and impactful by beneficiaries. Orukuna praised the First Lady’s leadership and reaffirmed her commitment to extending the initiative to the grassroots.

As the backlash continues, many Nigerians are calling for more meaningful and sustainable interventions that go beyond optics and directly address the core challenges faced by rural communities.

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