Following the calls by some stakeholders of Idoma extraction in Benue State to sack the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, A socio-cultural group, OnTiv Professionals Association Abuja, has come out to ask President Bola Tinubu not to listen to such calls.
It be recalled that an elder statesman, Chief Audu Ogbeh and Coalition of Idoma Professionals had called for the sack of the SGF over what they described as the marginalisation of the Idoma tribe by the present administration.
The Idoma stakeholders lamented that after the appointment of Senator Akume who is a Tiv man as SGF, the President went ahead and sent another Tiv man to the National Assembly to be screened as Minister, thereby marginalising the Idoma tribe.
But in a reaction to this, the President of OPA, Engr Abraham Aku, while addressing newsmen over the weekend, said it is a continuous mischief against the Tiv people.
“It should be noted that in ensuring fair co-existence, no Tiv person has ever raised objection to the appointment of an Idoma person rather, we have always supported such appointments even when they did not go the way we expected. We at the same time, have ensured that the sharing of political offices in Benue State; not minding their dominance at the Federal level is fairly done.
“It is tolerance with our Idoma brothers that seems not to have been appreciated by them that is worrisome and consequently, necessitates this press conference.
“We had intended to keep quiet, especially to the calls for the sack of His Excellency, Distinguished Senator George Akume by some Idoma elders claiming to be stakeholders of the Idoma race led by one who should know better, Chief Audu Ogbeh. While we had wished to let go of this call as one of their continuous mischief against the Tiv people, just a few days ago an Idoma lady refused her nomination to serve in the government of His Excellency, Fr. Hyacinth Allia, the Executive Governor of Benue State and made it public.
“We view this action in the light of blackmail of the Tiv people in order to further aggregate sympathy in pushing for the sack of His Excellency, Senator George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
“Not long ago when Distinguished Senator David Mark was President of the Nigerian Senate for eight uninterrupted years and had the full backing of the Tiv people, Distinguished Senator Abba Morro was appointed as Honourable Minister, the current Deputy Governor of Benue State Mr Sam Ode was an Honourable Minister while Jerry Agada Federal Permanent Secretary. No Tiv person wrote a petition calling for the sack of any of them,” he stated.
OPA further added that: “Can a person who rose through his civil service career to the rank of Permanent Secretary, became a two-term Executive Governor of the State and rose to become a Distinguished Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria before serving as an Honourable Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria not be a fit and proper person to hold the Office of Secretary to the Government of the Federation?
“Is a person who have united his people and mobilized his party, the APC to take over power from a sitting government in his state and recorded an almost 100% victory in two Zones his people occupy not suitable for reward? Can one rightly and courageously maintain that His Excellency, Ahmed Bola Tinubu, GCFR, Commander-In-Chief of Armed Forces has erred in the appointment of Senator George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation following his contribution to the party as well as his demonstrated capacity over the years? Our answer will be that anyone who holds this view is mischievous and up to create unnecessary friction in the ranks of the Benue people and the APC structure in the State.”
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