,,,,Governor’s aide describes members of the group as strangers.
By David Okpashi in Lafia.
Tiv Community of Nasarawa State on Friday, demanded an unreserved apology from one of their own,who is also the Senior Special Assistant, SSA, to Governor Abdullahi Sule, Comrade Peter Ahemba, over his comments and actions capable of promoting religious bigotry.
The community also asked the governor’s aide to apologize, particularly to the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, for dragging the church and its clerics into the politics of the state.
Addressing journalists in a press conference Lafia,the state capital on behalf of the community,north central Nigeria, the leader of the group who is a former president of the Tiv Development Association, TIDA, Mr Boniface Iffer, said the group is worried about the sudden outburst of Ahemba on the political situation in Nasarawa state.
“As a community, we are deeply worried at the current trend of events involving the unguarded utterances of one of us and the immediate past president of the Tiv Development Association, TIDA, who is now a Special Assistant to Governor Abdullahi Sule”.
According to the group, Ahemba has rather than bridging the gap between the government and the community, chose to be dragging the Tiv community, including the church, into unnecessary partisan politics,adding that this development has become a major issue since March, 2023.
“Our concern is in his decision to toe a dangerous lane, including dragging the Church and the clerics into politics on an issue that is already in court between the parties.
“This is in difference to numerous calls for restraint and caution by our leaders and well-meaning individuals, including the State Security Service”.
“Ordinarily, we would have preferred to maintain a dignified silence, but for the avoidance of doubt, Ahemba should not be seen as a representative of the Tiv people by dragging noble personalities into unnecessary disparaging for a pot of porridge just to earn a livelihood.
“It is the same Ahemba,as president of TIDA then that was all over the news accusing Governor Sule’s administration for turning a blank eye while 56 Tiv locals were killed among several others in various LGAs across the state.
“He used the killing of Tiv people in Obi, Awe, Doma, and a host of other communities in Nasarawa State to campaign for the position he is currently occupying.
“We have made several consultations with critical stakeholders and we resolved that the least we demand from him is a written apology and, a quick retraction of the insults and blackmails against his kin men in the state.
Reacting to the accusations heaped on him by his kinsmen,in an interview with our correspondent, Ahemba described the press conference by the community as baseless, stressing that the accusations were unfounded and calculated attempt to smear his person in the name of TIDA.
He said: “These people are strangers. They are not from Nasarawa state, so why should I attach importance to issues raised by people I do not know.
“They claimed that I was on National television, yes I was there not as a Tiv man, neither was I there on behalf of TIDA. I spoke as an appointee of the government.They should count me out of business of serving their pay master”.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
