Leave Akume Alone, Tiv Group Urges Critics

Tiv Youth Organisation (TYO) Worldwide has decried the call on President Bola Tinubu by the Coalition of Idoma Professionals to sack Senator George Akume as SGF, saying “it is divisive tendencies.”

They described the action as an “ethic chauvinism and an attempt to breed bad blood among the people of the state.”

The president of the group, Comrade Andy Aondongu Anzah, at a press conference in Abuja, said Tiv Youth Organisation is not against anyone or group crying foul for perceived marginalisation or injustice of any magnitude, “we condemn any such disparagement on the SGF.”

Anzah said Governor Hyacinth Alia emerged as the Benue State gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) by a process of the party’s primary election. At the polls, he won the majority of votes cast, including those cast in all the Idoma-speaking areas of Benue State, adding that “It can never be the fault of Senator Akume that Alia is governor of Benue State.”

He said, “We read in some sections of the media, a throe coated, hate inciting publication credited to a group under the aegis of Coalition of Idoma Professionals calling on President Bola Tinubu to sack Senator George Akume as secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) on account of developments totally not dependent on Akume nor his office.

“In the said baseless and malicious outburst, the group claimed that it was speaking on behalf of the Idoma nation and that their disapprobation is hinged on the appointment of the secretary to the government of the federation (SGF) and the ministerial nominee, Prof. Joseph Utsev by President Bola Tinubu.

“Over these developments, the group blamed Senator Akume and they rejected this in totality and are calling for inclusiveness, and unfortunately, as well as the sack of the SGF.

“The Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly was voted in by his own people to represent them at the 10th Assembly of Benue State House of Assembly. He was never appointed speaker of the legislative house by Senator Akume. The speaker was elected at the plenary by serving members of the state legislative house amongst whom were Idoma representatives. Quite why Akume would be censured for this is beyond the realms of our imagination, except it is aimed at creating acrimony.

“The chief of staff to the governor is the governor’s personal appointment and so, his appointment cannot be any fault of Akume.”

“The chief judge at any level emerges by seniority in the profession as prescribed by their ethics and guidelines. The current chief judge of Benue State attained that height on merit, long before Akume became SGF.

“The SGF is an appointment of the President of the nation. And Sen. Akume did not appoint himself. He was appointed by President Bola Tinubu. So, if this group feels that an Idoma man would be appointed SGF, they should turn to the president and not Akume.

“The nomination of Prof. Joseph Utsev as minister should also never be blamed on Akume. The nomination of ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a duty of the President, and not that of the SGF. We leant reliably that the nomination of ministerial candidates was conducted and forwarded by the leadership of the state chapters of All Progressives Congress (APC) as directed by the president.”

According to them, In Benue State, the chairman of the state chapter of the APC, Hon. Austin Agada, is an Idoma man! The group should either have directed their frustration at President Tinubu or their son, Hon. Agada for supervising and forwarding the ministerial nominee from Benue, who is a Tiv man.