In a flurry of last-minute preparations for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s visit to Benue State on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, videos circulating on social media show state workers cutting roadside bushes at night along key routes in Makurdi.
Governor Hyacinth Alia reportedly ordered the sudden cleanup.
The viral footage, shared widely on platforms like X, captures workers wielding cutlasses under artificial lighting to clear overgrown bush, particularly near the entrance to the Government House in Makurdi.
Posts on X claim the state government neglected these areas for years until the president’s visit prompted the overnight operation.
One user remarked, “The Governor has never thought it necessary to keep his state in order until it’s time to receive Mr. President.”
Tinubu’s visit, intended to address the recent massacre in Yelwata, Guma Local Government Area, where over 200 people were killed, has been framed by the state government as a gesture of solidarity.
However, the elaborate preparations, including a public holiday and a “colourful procession” from Makurdi Airport to the Government House, have fueled accusations that the visit is being politicized. Critics point to the timing of the cleanup as evidence of “eye service” to impress the president.
