From Hir Scholastica Onyeka, Makurdi
Benue Patriots (BP), a civil society group, has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and quell the cold war between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume and state Governor Hyacinth Alia for the overall good of the state.
The association which made this appeal while briefing newsmen in Makurdi, Sunday evening, urged the President to advise Senator Akume to give Governor Alia a free hand to operate and develop the state.
Reading his prepared text titled, “Let Benue Breath,” before journalist, the President of the organization, Dan Boor, flanked by the Secretary, Genesis Chia, said “Zone A Peoples’ Assembly (ZAPA), and other groups, had earlier raised some very sensitive issues and worries over some political happenings in the state.
“However, we have, as a CSO, observed after painstakingly watching some key developments in the Benue political scene has continued to witness a surge in retrogressive activities that if not timely checked, will derail the present administration from delivering people oriented programmes.
“Based on this, we consulted widely and deliberated profusely and come to a conclusion that the continuous strategic mobilization of people by the Secretary to the Government of Federation (SGF), Sen. George Akume and his quest for total control of our state, perhaps ahead of his 2027 presidential ambition is the main cause of our setback.”
Boor while noting that the SGF, Senator George Akume, has all the qualities it takes to be President, alleged that his desperation to take over the meagre resources that accrues to the state to fulfill his ambition has been a source of worry to it and other well meaning individuals and groups in the state.
“As Benue indigenes, we shall be excited and feel blessed if one of us become the number one citizen of this entity called Nigeria. Sen. George Akume, no doubt, well fits into any leadership toga in this country including that of the presidency.
“Our problem only lies in his desperation to takeover by all means the meagre resources of our state to prepare the way for his longtime ambition.
“Akume’s priority is to amass wealth and to use his position to exert influence on critical APC stakeholders across the country to defeat the Vice President, Ibrahim Kashim Shettima, who will likely contest the seat with him.
Our correspondent reports that on many occasions, while fielding questions from journalists, Government Hyacinth Alia has always denied having issues with the SGF whom he describes as not only the leader of the APC in Benue but his leader.
But the Benue Patriot said, “findings are rife that he is consistently mounting undue pressure on Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia to appoint his blood relations as heads of some juicy agencies in the state such as Benue Internal Revenue Services (BIRS), Benue State Independent Electoral Commission (BSIEC), State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Water Board, State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) and Social Investment programme.
“The question is how can a leader who has the interest of his people at heart bring forth such requests to a sitting Governor? It took Alia three months to nominate commissioners and another one full month to assign portfolios to his Advisers. This too we observed was based on interloping fangs of the SGF.
“These pointers indicate clearly that the SGF is working so hard to take completely APC structures in the state and use resources from the state to expand to North-Central, including the use of blackmail against influential leaders in the region who may not want to back his ambition” he said.
Boor urged the president to call the SGF to order to allow the state Governor control the affairs of the state he was elected to lead to enable him deliver the expected democracy dividends to the people.