The Benue State Government has defended the use of the title “Her Excellency” by the Special Adviser to the Governor and Coordinator of the Office of the First Lady, Mrs. Scholastica Terngu Bensor, describing criticisms of the designation as a product of misinformation and political mischief.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Hyacinth Alia, Tersoo Kula, said public debates over the title had exposed widespread misunderstanding of governance structures and protocol practices.
Kula explained that “Her Excellency” is a formal honorific used to recognize women occupying high-ranking public positions or those entrusted with significant government responsibilities, stressing that the title is not reserved solely for the wives of governors and presidents.
According to him, the designation is commonly used for female leaders, ambassadors, ministers, and women appointed to coordinate major public service and humanitarian programmes.
The governor’s spokesman noted that the Office of the First Lady is not a constitutionally established executive office but operates largely as a humanitarian and social intervention platform whose structure varies across states.
He cited examples from Akwa Ibom and Edo states, where individuals appointed to coordinate activities associated with the Office of the First Lady are accorded official protocol recognition and addressed as “Her Excellency” while carrying out their duties.
Kula maintained that Governor Alia possesses the constitutional authority to appoint competent individuals to implement his administration’s vision, particularly in areas of humanitarian intervention and social welfare.
He said Mrs. Bensor had demonstrated the competence and commitment required for the role and had effectively coordinated programmes targeted at vulnerable groups across the state.
The statement urged members of the public to approach discussions on governance issues with facts and proper context rather than political sentiment, emphasizing that such offices are designed to support government programmes and not to create parallel structures of authority.