Being a Press Statement by the Jemgbagh Unity Forum
The Jemgbagh Unity Forum red yet another malicious affront on the sensibilities of the people of Benue State which a hatchet group, the Zone A People's Assembly took credit.
People of Benue state will recall that this group offered its name to be used by self-serving politicians especially of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) from Zone A to advance negative courses and cause disaffection among leaders and communities in Benue state.
In their latest outing, they tried to sustain their evil agenda by accusing our leader and father, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen Dr. George Akume of favouritism to the people of Jemgbagh, attempts to destabilize the Alia administration, and causing the removal from office of some prominent Benue sons holding positions of responsibility with the Federal Government.
We had refrained from joining issues with many of these groups for the bare-faced lies and misrepresentation of facts that have become the hallmark of their desperate outings. We have however given emerging realities decided to step in to set the records straight and advance our position in the face of the continuous unprovoked attacks on our leader.
First, the many sponsored vituperation against our leader, Sen. Dr George Akume and indeed, the people of Jemgbagh must be understood within the context of anger from the many failed politicians suffering from series of defeat from proxy wars embarked against the political leadership of the SGF, Sen. Dr George Akume. The latest outing by Zone A People's Assembly and many other previous and anticipated attacks should be understood within this context.
It is on record that Sen. Dr George Akume remains the only leader in Benue state with a network of benefactors that cuts across the three senatorial districts of the state. Akume's house remains a typical Nigerian setting where people from diverse backgrounds take refuge and realize their aspirations. No amount of sponsored misrepresentation can change this fact which has been engraved in the hearts of the people.
It is surprising that when people from their zone controlled the machinery of government at the state and federal levels, the ZAPA did not summon the efficacy of the 'ya na anigbian' doctrine when Gabriel Suswam from Logo LGA in Zone A was the Governor, Chief Mike Aondoakaa SAN was the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Justice Kastina Alu, Chief Justice of the Federation, Dr Paul Orhii, DG NAFDAC, Robert Orya, MD NEXIM Bank, Mzamber Waziri, Chairman EFCC all from Ushongo LGA in Zone A. Most of the Federal Jobs including Ambassadorial appointments went to Zone A. This must be a very special form of 'ya na anigbian'!
It is surprising how the group attempted to drag the SGF into the process of appointment of a CMD for the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi. Appointment of a CMD, like any other head of government establishment has its processes. The examining body which assessed the candidates for the office had recommended three successful persons from which the president could appoint as CMD. There is no candidate introduced into the contest outside the three successful candidates recommended for the position. Prof. Kortor, the new CMD was among the three successful candidates. This has been the standard practice in the process of such appointments and one expects it should be devoid of cheap, local or sectional politics as championed by ZAPA.
In their desperation to appeal to the desire of their pay masters, ZAPA forgot the fact that in the event of the exit of a chief executive of a government institution, the next most senior officer takes over in acting capacity. This is the process the group maliciously intends to arrest at the Federal Polytechnic Wanune. Politics and hate should not take us to the point of thinking that one should not progress in his or her career on account of his relationship with Akume. This is politics taken too far!
On the rumour and fear-mongering about the sack of the executive secretary of the Nigerian Shippers Council, Rt. Hon. Emmanuel Jime. The Jemgbagh Unity Forum wish to inform ZAPA that the appointment and dismissal of persons into Federal agencies is an exclusive preserve of the President and not the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. President Tinubu who is an ardent rewarder of loyalty, hard work, and commitment to the success of the APC in the last election has evidently designed a robust reward system for party members as can be seen in his appointments. Those who miscalculated their moves in the buildup to the last election should seek positive realignment rather than seeking to blackmail the SGF. Why should Sen George Akume be made be pay for the lack of political wisdom of others?
Akume has provided the platform for the highest number of Benue people to realize their dreams and get elevated in life including many of those who took credit for the ZAPA press conference.
It is laughable how the group tried to down play the inglorious outing at the Benue State House of Assembly trying to as usual blame it on what they call vested interests of the SGF in a particular candidate. Hon Mrs Beckie Orpin who is a committed member of the APC was voted by her constituents and is eminently qualified to be Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly. One may wish to ask, what 'vested' interest has Sen. Akume in the other candidates who were recommended by the state chapter of the APC into leadership positions of the Assembly but were turned down in preference of hatchet jobbers some of who took credit for the ZAPA Press Conference? Indeed, we view the entire scenario at the Benue State House of Assembly and indeed other similar actions in the state as part of a grand design to provoke our leader the SGF and his supporters and profile them in a particular manner as attempted by ZAPA in their ill fated conference.
The group has also gone as far as announcing a possible destabilization of the Alia administration barely two months into the life of the new regime. We wish to say that by Tiv culture and tradition, the executive governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia is a bonafide Jemgbagh son.
The people of Jemgbagh did not only champion his emergence as governor, we worked hard and contributed the highest number of votes that ensured his victory in the last elections and that of the President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We, therefore, seize this opportunity to call on the governor not to take the bait of sectional sentiments as being canvassed by ZAPA.
Alia should rather take a cue from Rev. Fr. Moses Oshio Adasu, who ignored all such antics and political jobbers and within 1 year and 11 months brought about enormous development in the State including the now much prized Benue State University.
We view the outburst by ZAPA as part of the grand plan to undermine the people of Jemgbagh. We wonder why the group did not see anything wrong in the fact that in the current set-up of the Benue State government, both the Governor, Secretary to the State Government, and the Chief of Staff to the Governor who are responsible for the day-to-day running of the administration of the state have been willfully appointed from one Senatorial District (Zone A)
When the number of commissioners cannot even go round the 23 LGAs in the state, Ushongo LGA alone has two commissioner nominees, a Special Adviser, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor and Majority Leader of the Benue State House of Assembly. Is this what the ZAPA calls 'ya na anigbian'?
The Jemgbagh Unity Forum is aware of the scheme and antics of those who frustrated the APC in the state but now want to return to the table using blackmail, the sentiment card and reactivating the anti-Akume song. This is a familiar path!
Already, those who refused to work for the APC in the last election, accusing Governor Alia of not picking or returning calls, failing to reach out to his co-aspirants, and lack of experience to govern the state have found their ways to the Government House, Makurdi. The Jemgbagh Unity Forum is closely watching the events as they unfold!
It must therefore be stated that the people of Jemgbagh have become wiser to the fact that the persistent anti-Akume song is not only seeking the head of our leader, Sen. Dr George Akume but a product of envy and existential threat to our very heritage and we are ready to defend our own with all vehemence!
The Tor Tiv and indeed, opinion leaders in Tiv land must pay attention to the emerging threat to the peace and development of Benue state as championed by the Zone A People's Assembly. This group and many other individuals have through the promotion of hate, encouraged political crisis in the state by desperately seeking to pull down our leader, Sen. Dr. George Akume. While these attempts have always and by the Grace of God will continue to fail, Benue state has remained the only victim in this proxy wars against Akume.
When Suswam became governor in 2007, he started so well to the admiration of the entire state. He was pushed into needless political battles that completely distracted him from the wheel of governance, he lost steam and Benue suffered for the remaining seven years of his administration.
The same group migrated to Governor Samuel Ortom who started so well by delivering on most of his campaign promises in just one year in office. Ortom got enmeshed in political battles that the ship of governance was completely submerged by battles at both the national and sub-national levels.
As events unfold, we fear for our dear governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia. The people of Benue state invested a lot of hope in him. God has answered the prayers of the people of Benue state by returning them to mainstream politics and placing one of them at the centre of governance at the Federal level as Secretary to the Government of the Federation. What the people of Benue state expect is a partnership that would bring unprecedented development to Benue state which will make Gov Hyacinth Alia one of the best in the history of the state. It will be unfortunate if this opportunity is sacrificed on the altar of cheap sectional politics in Benue State.
We call on Governor Hyacinth Alia and indeed the Tor Tiv to be aware of hawks and sharks whose only interest is power and money and not the development of Benue State.
We call on the Tor Tiv to rise and defend this prominent Tiv son as he has done to others before. Sen. George Akume, the pride of the Tiv nation should not and can never be reduced by failed politicians to low-level warfare in Benue State.
Arc. Iordye Kparevfa
President, Jemgbah Unity Forum.
August 17th 2023.
Comments