Benue groups slam Afenifere, Arewa Patriots over calls for Akume’s suspension

… Want President Tinubu to expedite action on insecurity

 

From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi

Controversies have continued to trail the statements by some tribal groups, the Afenifere and the Arewa Patriots, calling for the suspension from office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume.

In response to their calls, the three socio-cultural organisations in Benue State, the Mzough U Tiv (MUT), the Ochetoha K’Idoma and Ominy’Igede, have condemned such calls in strong terms, saying it was politically motivated.

Speaking through its chairman and President General, Mzough U Tiv Worldwide, Chief Iorbee Ihagh, the group said the allegations that the SGF was standing in the way of the investigation of his aides, Mr. Torhile Uchi, who is presently being investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was disheartening.

He said Senator George Akume, a two-term governor of Benue State, a senator for 12 years and a minister for years before becoming the SGF, is a seasoned administrator who has served in the State Civil Service, one that knows the pros and cons of such situations and would not intentionally block the EFCC from doing its job.

The group stated that from the onset of the allegations levelled against Mr Uchi, the SGF, had given his nod to all the security agencies to investigate the aide, absolving himself of any connection with the alleged fraud.

The socio-cultural groups insisted that the call for the suspension of Senator George Akume is politically motivated and not based on the yardstick of accountability and transparency.

He said “what we thought as a group is that all interested parties will wait to hear the outcome of the investigation and thereafter draw conclusions on the matter. But unfortunately, the factional Afenifere group and the Arewa Patriots have drawn a conclusion on the matter, indicating that they have already drawn a conclusion on the matter.

“As a Member of the Ethnic Nationalities of Nigeria, I know that there is no factional Afenifere, therefore we believe that this group has been sponsored to do what they are doing and also acting out a script handed to them.

“We have also noticed that some Arewa groups have been throwing spanners in the works of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as well as his appointees and the Arewa Patriots have towed this line of action.

“Before now, we had thought that we are part of Arewa, and the people of Arewa are with us, but with this development, they have clearly drawn a demarcation that they are Northerners and we are from Middle Belt.

“We have seen instances where allegations of misappropriation had been levelled against Northerners and Afenifere and nobody called for their resignation, suspension or outright removal, whereas in this case, Senator Akume has not been accused of embezzling government funds, yet they are asking for his head.”

He advised the “factional Afenifere and Arewa Patriots” not to pressurise or stampede the EFCC but allow them carry out their duties as they deem fit, bring out their findings and recommendations and/or charges against the offender.

He accused the groups coming against the SGF of rocking the boat that would ensure that the president and his appointees fail in governance.

He appreciated President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the things he has been doing for the people of Benue State through his Renewed Hope Agenda stating that the people of the Middle Belt are 100 percent in his support despite the clamour that he should not run in 2027.

Ihagh, a former Comptroller of Prisons, however, appealed to the president to expedite action on the issue of insecurity that has bedevilled the state and draft more security agents to the troubled spots in Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa states, so that the people of the affected communities will go back to their ancestral homes and continue with their farming activities to feed Nigerians.

He said “In doing this, the president will endear himself to the people of Benue, Taraba and Nasarawa.”

Also in a statement, kinsmen of the SGF, under the auspices of Jemgbagh Development Association (JEMDA) have cautioned the tribal groups to desist from sponsored attacks against SGF, Senator George Akume.

The President-General of JEMDA, Dr. Vincent Amaaibai, said they are shocked and disappointed at the recent calls by a faction of the Afenifere and the Arewa Patriots for the probe and resignation of the SGF over baseless allegations.

JEMDA which described the accusations as malicious asked the groups to tender an unreserved apology for their reckless statements saying their motives appear to be driven by partisan interests and a desire to undermine the integrity of the SGF.

The statement read “Both groups have woefully failed in their attempts to link the SGF to the ongoing investigation. The resumed attacks and call for the removal of the SGF are not new, Nigerians will recall that several of such calls have previously been made by faceless groups who are believed to be serving vested interests threatened by the growing profile of the SGF and the excellence with which he has carried his official conduct as SGF.”

Amaaibai noted that the faction of the Afenifere in their statement signed by factional publicity Secretary, Dr. Bayo Adenuga surprisingly based their call for the suspension of the SGF on what they termed “rumour mill mentioning Akume in the conversation” saying it was the highest level of rumour mongering and attempt to undermine the business of governance.

“The JEMDA vehemently rejects these unfounded claims, which seem to be part of a larger agenda to destabilise the government and tarnish the reputation of a dedicated public servant. Senator Akume’s commitment to transparency, accountability and zero-tolerance policy towards corruption is well-documented.

“The office of the SGF on the 17th of March, 2025 issued a statement clearly distancing the office and person of the SGF from the allegations. Consequently, both the office of the SGF and Sen. Dr. George Akume are not under investigation.

“Calls for his suspension to pave way for the investigation of another person are highly misplaced. They betray the principle of legal responsibility where adults are required to bear the consequences of their actions and omissions.

“The EFCC which is constitutionally empowered to investigate corruption cases in the country has not hinted at any interference from the office of the SGF, or difficulties in carrying out their investigations. It is therefore very strange that the groups could assume the mouthpieces of both the EFCC and their respective organisations.”

JEMDA said the timing of these allegations raises serious questions about the motivations behind them adding that “It is clear that these groups are attempting to blackmail and intimidate the SGF, undermining his efforts to serve the nation.

“JEMDA demands apology from these groups for their reckless and irresponsible statements, which have the potential to damage the reputation of a respected public servant. We also call on relevant authorities to investigate these groups’ motives and funding sources, ensuring they aren’t being used to destabilise the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the pursuits of their personal agendas.”

The group further reaffirmed their support for the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration and its efforts to promote good governance and development in Nigeria, urging him not to allow himself to be distracted by the baseless allegations against his SGF which are clearly targeted at derailing his focus.

The JEMDA similarly urged Nigerians to see through these malicious attempts to undermine the SGF’s integrity and instead focus on his achievements and contributions to national development expressing confidence that Senator Akume will continue to serve Nigeria with dedication and integrity, despite the baseless attacks.

Similarly, the Mdzough U Tiv, the Tiv socio-cultural organisation, also condemned the call for the removal of the SGF.

“Our attention has been drawn to the recent desperate call on President Ahmed Tinubu by the Afenifere, a Pan Yoruba Socio-Cultural Group, and the Arewa Forum to remove Senator Dr. George Akume as the SGF of Nigeria.

“We want the world to know that, Senator George Akume, the SGF and Hon. Torhile Uchi are all Nigerian Citizens, adults and independent appointees of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

“It must also be known that, their appointments were based on their individual or personal integrity and not based on their collective integrity. We are therefore not against the investigation of Hon. Torhile Uchi as believers in fair hearing and accountability but condemn in totality the call for the removal of Dr. George Akume which is absolutely counterproductive, retrogressive and politically motivated and must be disregarded by the President.

“It is also our position that, deeply involving the SGF in the alleged case of corruption and accusing him of blocking law enforcement agencies from doing their job is hallucinative and highly prejudicial since no single anti-graft agency has made available proofs to substantiate such allegations.

“We therefore condemn and object his removal from office over an alleged act of corruption alleged to have been committed by his subordinate without any iota of proof over his involvement, connection to the case or screening the suspect.

“We challenge all the petitioners and the anti-graft agencies concerned to come out with verifiable proofs to their claims or stop exposing their tribal bigotry. Calling for the removal of the SGF to pave way for a full, free and comprehensive investigation in to the alleged corrupt practice as is been recommended by the petitioners is also highly persecutive and pre-emptive with ethnic biases and sentiments.”