BENUE ZONE "C" IS TRULY MARGINALISED AND DESERVE A BETTER SHARE OF APPOINTMENTS BOTH AT THE FEDERAL AND STATE

The people of Zone "C" also known as the Benue South Zone which is made up of the Idoma and Igede are truly marginalised and have been abandoned to swim without proper direction and have not been carried along to have a fair share of their State National cake. 

It will be recalled that many groups have spring up from all corner to protest the continued and constant marginalisation of their people in Zone "C" by their Tiv neighbours. We all understand that the Zone is made up the Idoma and Igede which Idoma have Seven (7) Local Government Councils and Igede with only two (2).

On the political table, the bargain for who takes the Lion share remains who brings the biggest catch of the day and who have hunted more than the others. Yes, the Zone "C" region have every reason to cry and even more to complain for been marginalised by their Tiv neighbours. The truth is that since the creation of Benue State over 45 years ago, no single person from Zone "C" has been democratically elected into the highest office as the Governor of Benue State. 

It will be recalled that at some point in the past, the people of Zone "C" normally get the slot of the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) which is a very sensitive position and Speaker Benue State House of Assembly which is another key position and the Commissioner for Finance and Health, all this have changed within a short unnoticed space of time. 

Crying for marginalisation is timely and apt but why did all this changed within a short time, which was like a birthright of the Zone "C" people? the people of Zone "C" must make a review and revisit the political drawing board to see where the sketch has been wrongly applied and find ways to make corrections. We may see appointment as a fundamental right but the number also matters. 

If we may identify some issues in the soared relationship between the Tiv and Zone "C" we may not leave out the political war between Senator David Mark and Senator George Akume since 1999. In as much as Mark is considered to be exposed, experience and well grounded, Mark do not believe in any Tiv person and do not have much business with the Tivs except in a situation where it becomes necessary like the issue of politicking even at that, Mark prefers to take his Idoma people into any political party where his Tiv neighbours are not considered key players and decision makers. 

For Mark, the Tiv man is selfish but if we can consider the events of the past such as the imbalance appointments at the Federal College of Health Sciences Otukpo, where the Medical Director has appointed all his Top Management beginning with his position down to the Chief Security Officer (CSO) all from Zone "C" and Idoma all not even an Igede person was considered. When Sen. Abba Moro was a Snr Minister, Ortom was the Minister for States during Goodluck Jonathan there was no complaint from any Tiv man or group yet, the Tiv people have the number that is twice more than the Idoma or Zone "C" as a whole.

If the people of Zone "C" wants to get it right, they should always align with Tiv people anytime it is time to farm so that when it is time to eat, the sharing will go round equally or they can farm on their own and bear the consequences if they lost out. When Audu Ogbe was given Minister during Buhari first term, no one wrote petition so why will the people of Zone "C" now assume that protest, petition and complaints will solve the matter that they are not given a Ministerial slot by Tinibu.

Please, the Elders of Zone "C" should calm down and follow the right channels to get a listening ear. This Elders can create a way to meet with Tinibu, congratulate him and further make some demands and same should be done to the person of Sen. George Akume who is now Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and demands or request be present in a more polite and respectful way. 

The game of Politics is a game of number and therefore, Zone "C" do not have the number but can improvise the use of diplomacy to drag home their demands not by calling on President Tinibu to sack Sen. George Akume from office and going forward, the entire Tiv Nation may feel it is now political war the entire Zone "C" have declared on their son who is at the moment occupying such an exotic position. Two wrongs can not make a right. The marginalisation is real but unity of purpose is everything.

There is still time to heal the wounds and to repair the damage that has not yet gone far. The names of Ministers that are for screening beginning from. 31st July 2023 are 28 Names and this is first batch waiting for another batch which is never too late to get a slot for the Zone "C" people if their anger is well handled. 

Zone "C" is made up of Idoma and Igede so on this note, the Idoma people should learn to accommodate and share their permanent Senatorial Seat with the Igede people who are their neighbours so that equity, fairness and justice that they preach will not be counted against them and the Deputy Governor slot too should be shared amongst the two ethnic tribes henceforth as the law of nature demands.

👉PenSype

1st August, 2023