Deprecating the political neglect of Benue South, Zone C Senatorial District (comprising chiefly of the Idoma and Igede ethnic groups), stakeholders of the zone led by former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbeh, former Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) , AVN Monday Morgan and former Principal General Staff Officer in the Presidency, retired General Lawrence Onoja, have drawn the attention of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to the current developments in the state, with a view to remedying the situation.
In a press conference hosted by the stakeholders, they noted that the long race for ministerial slots in the Tinubu administration had culminated in the submission of the first ministerial list to the Senate.
They stated, “What started as a rumour in political circles that another Tiv son is being prepared to be handed over to the President and Commander-in-Chief has materialised.”
Lamenting the political neglect of Benue Zone C, they opined, ‘We are highly agitated [by] this move because if, within the state, we are [seen as] inconsequential [despite] the array of professionals and [our highly skilled] human resource, and such neglect is extended to the centre, orchestrated by our traducers, where do we as a nation belong? [We are] rejected at home and ignored in the centre. Where lies the future of the Idoma nation in Nigeria?”
Expounding on their opinion, they said, “In view of the forgoing, we [earnestly] implore President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to [beam] a searchlight on Benue [State] to have details of the political marginalisation that is going on in that enclave.”
The stakeholders went on to state their prayers, among which were:
a. The next minister from Benue should be from Zone C to check the huge imbalance but instead, he came from the same zone as the SGF Akume.
b. The President should kindly look into this case prudently so that the needed peace and unity can flourish in Benue State.
Further to that, they stated that it had become expedient to call for the press conference in view of the political developments in Benue State.
They averred that the wind of change which swept through the state and culminated in the emergence of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia in an election the APC won in all three senatorial districts, clearly demonstrated the strategic approach the APC leadership in all the zones employed to capture power in the state.
The consequent realignment of Benue State to the national political power grid, they stated, had brought good tidings through the appointment of their political leader, Sen. George Akume, as the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF).
Sen. Akume’s appointment as SGF, they stated, is pregnant with the potential of making Benue State the platform upon which to unite all northern minorities (Middle Belt citizens), southern minorities and other minority groups in the country, in strong support of the pragmatic leadership of President Tinubu. They went on to state, “It is in view of this that we, under the umbrella of Concerned Zone C Politicians, Retired Generals, and the Youth, wish to thank God Almighty for the emergence of our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in this perilous time of Nigerian fragile state, when a unifier was in dire need.”
The victory of Fr. Alia in Benue State, they stated, has brought succor to the suffering masses, particularly the minorities of Zone C and other minorities within Zones A and B. “Our anticipation,” they added, “is that the justice and equity that had eluded Benue for over 47 years was on its way to being addressed.”
The group noted that however, the recent appointments the governor made towed the old line of denying Zone C the position of the SSG. That, they stated, raised a red flag, indicating that their joy at his emergence was likely going to be short-lived. Furthermore, they stated, “We are aware of the maiden courtesy call by one of our major platforms led by its national coordinator, Air Vice Marshal Monday Morgan, on our governor before his swearing-in, where the group, on our behalf, vehemently demanded the return of the post of SSG to Zone C to show signs of good faith, hoping that a new era had come. The plea was aired on Radio Benue and most media networks.”
The stakeholders noted that despite this plea, when the governor made his first and crucial appointments, Zone C, a zone that has never been given the opportunity to govern the state since its creation, still lost the post of SSG. The current Benue State political configuration, they noted, is thus as follows: Governor-Tiv; Speaker-Tiv; Chief Judge-Tiv and SSG-Tiv. Decrying this egregious political marginalization, the group expressed its fears for the future prospects of the Idomas and other minorities in Benue State.
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