…ask Tor Tiv to caution him
By Charity Roberts
Kinsmen of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, has accused him of bias in the political power sharing among the three senatorial districts of Benue State.
The kinsmen under the platform of Zone “A” Peoples’ Assembly (ZAPA) at a press conference in Makurdi, expressed worry that the SGF cornered key positions to people from his own family and zone B district, leaving out the two other senatorial zones of A and C.
ZAPA’s National President, Fannen Mondo, in a petition to the paramount ruler of Tiv nation, Prof. James Ayatse which he read before journalists contended that the position of ministerial nominee, Medical Director of Federal Medical Center (FMC), Makurdi and Rector, Federal Polytechnic, Wannune were all single handedly given to those related to the SGF who himself hails from zone B.
Mondo argued that while zone A and B are Tiv speaking senatorial districts, political positions were usually shared among the five ascentry blocs making up the Tiv nation but that Akume jettisoned that arrangement by favouring only his own bloc.
The group maintained that while it applauded the ministerial nomination of Joseph Utsev because he was moved to a higher position from being a rector of polytechnic, it frowned at the minister replacing him with his cousin, Dr. Tyover Dajo.
They added that it was natural that zone A should have the minister, emphasising that even more annoying was the fact that the SGF chose somebody from his own family to replace the minister nominee and that if the position was given to the Idoma people of zone C, there wouldn’t be any need for them to complain.
“We want to state clearly that Akume is not showing good leadership and statecraft in the moves he is making in the recent past. It is now crystal clear that he is consciously only concentrating his loyalties to Jemgbagh, the micro community where he comes from and not the larger Tiv race or even Benue state where he is the highest appointee of government as it were.
“Some pointers to this fact clearly manifest in the skewed ministerial appointment he masterminded to his Jemgbagh clan in contradiction to the age – long Tiv principle which principle ensures the spread of spoils and appointments to all sections of society to ensure equity.
“It is only appropriate that since Akume himself is the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, micro-zoning or taking the ministerial slot still to his native Jemgbagh is, in good conscience, not the right thing to do, and it’s totally out of the way.
“Furthermore, Akume in pursuit of his narrow Jemgbagh agenda ostensibly robbed the people of Lobi of what was due to one of their sons by out-scheming and setting aside merit to deny Dr. Stephen Hwande, a thorough-bred professional of the position of Chief Medical Director (CMD) in favour of his Jemgbagh clansman. The most painful part of this unfortunate development is that Dr. Hwande had gone through the rigorous process as required by the laid down procedure. He came tops in the examination.
“But to further display his mindset of nepotism, Akume, in utmost disregard to merit, authored a letter to the Ministry of Health recommending his Jemgbagh clansman Prof. Joseph Kortor who came a distant 3rd in the examination for the position of CMD. He insisted and had Prof. Kortor appointed as CMD of the Federal Medical Centre, Makurdi,” the group stated.
Mondo urged the Tor Tiv to caution Akume not to allow his personal interest to outstrip and override that of the entire Tiv race.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
