Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia became the second Roman Catholic Priest to be elected as governor of a State in Nigeria after emerging victorious in the Benue State gubernatorial election held on March 18, 2023.
Alia was born on May 14, 1966 in Mbangur, Mbadede, Vandeikya Local government of Benue.
He started his primary education at St Francis Primary School, Agidi, Mbatiav in Gboko. Then proceeded to St James Minor Seminary, Makurdi where he began his religious journey. Alia also studied at the St Augustine’s Major Seminary in Jos where he obtained a diploma in Religious Study and later Bachelors in Sacred Theology.
Hyacinth He went further in his educational pursuit by obtaining a Masters in Religious Education (Psychology and Counselling) at Fordham University, Bronx, New York, United States.
Alia also got another Masters in Biomedical Ethics from Duquesne University Pennsylvania in 2004 and a doctorate degree from the same course and from the same University in 2005.
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He was ordained a Catholic Priest on July 7, 1990 by Bishop Athanasius Atule Usuh of Makurdi Catholic Diocese.
Before politics Alia had international experience in educational management and health care administration. He’s also an expert for development goals and budget coordination assessment.
Alia has served as Director of Pastoral Services, Catholic Health Service, North Campus Lauderdale Lakes, Florida, United States of America.
He is a member of the National Association of Catholic Chaplains, the CatholicHealth Service System Wide Ethics Committee and member of the Broward Ethics Committee.
In 2022 he became the gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Benue State. His motivation for his decision to take up the position of governor he said was to turn the State into a better place and liberate the people from poverty.
In March 2023, Alia was declared as winner of the 2023 governorship s election in Benue State polling 473,933 votes ahead of Peoples Democratic Party Candidate Titus Uba who got 223,913 votes.
