Appointment: Group Tackles Ogbeh Over Call For Akume’s Sack

A non-governmental organisation, Global Alliance for Peace and Unity has lambasted the former minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh, over his call for the sack of the secretary to the government of the federation, Senator George Akume.

Ogbeh recently led some stakeholders of Idoma extraction to address a press conference where they expressed misgivings over the inclusion of a Tiv man, Prof Joseph Utsev, as the ministerial nominee from Benue State. 

At the press conference, Ogbeh called for the sack of the SGF over the development which he said further maginalised the Idoma race in the scheme of things in Benue State.

However, the national president of the group, Mr Solomon Pevkyaa in a world press conference in Lafia yesterday, described Audu Ogbeh’s action as disappointing and unfortunate.

He said Ogbeh’s public attack on Akume was a direct affront on the person and personality of President Bola Tinubu.

He said Ogbeh’s position on the appointment was rather unfair, adding that as an elder, the former minister should refrain from any action which could undermine the peace and unity the state has been enjoying. 

He said: “Akume as Benue state Governor between 1999-2007 supported Audu Ogbeh to become PDP national chairman against the second term bid of his kinsman, Chief Bananas Gemade, but no Tiv man raised an eyebrow.”

“When David Mark, an Idoma man was Senate President, he influenced the appointment of Senator Patrick Abba Moro as minister, no Tiv man called for his removal, not even a word of opposition from Akume.

“In 2015, when Akume singlehandedly birth and nurtured APC in Benue State from ACN and the party won elections up to the national level, same Audu Ogbeh was appointed a minister of Agriculture for 4 years with the full support of Akume.

“It is therefore unfortunate that Audu Ogbeh, one among the leaders of the North central and a member of Arewa Consultative Forum will led a call for the sack of Akume as SGF because he nominated a Tiv man as minister.

“Audu Ogbeh has forgotten that the zone C (Idoma) where he comes from massively voted for Peter Obi, not Tinubu, how can you reap where you did not soul, Audu Ogbeh’s action clearly undermines the presidency of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“Senator George Akume led the entire Tiv people to massively vote for President Tinubu, and nominating a Tiv man to serve in Tinubu cabinet is a reward for the massive votes the president got from the Tiv people.

“We expect an ideal statesman like Audu Ogbeh to join Akume in helping President Tinubu to resolve the hardship arising from the removal of fuel subsidy rather than focusing on mudane and ethnic issues that bring us back over the years.

“President Tinubu has offered a renewed Hope for Nigerians and appointing a Benue son his SGF is to help stabilise politics of northern Nigerian “and I expect people like Audu Ogbeh to rally round Akume in assisting the President find lasting solutions to the numerous challenges confronting Nigeria,” he said.