Group petitions Tinubu over exclusion of Benue South from ministerial appointment

A group called “Benue Youths Frontiers for Democracy” has lodged a petition with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, President and Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, expressing concern over the continuous marginalization of other ethnic groups in Benue State regarding ministerial appointments.

The group raised objections to the recent composition of ministerial nominations, claiming that it violates the provisions of the constitution. They argue that the nomination process does not reflect the principles of federal character and lacks fairness, equity, and a balance of political power.

In the petition, addressed to President Tinubu, the convener of the group, Daniel Atayi, brought attention to Section 14, Subsection 3 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which emphasizes the need for the government’s composition to reflect the federal character of the country, promoting national unity, and avoiding the dominance of a few states or ethnic groups in positions of power.

The group highlighted that despite being a multi-ethnic state, key positions in the government of Benue State, such as the Governor, Secretary to the Government of the State, Chief of Staff to the Governor, Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Chief Judge of the State, and heads of key ministries and agencies, have been predominantly occupied by members of the Tiv-speaking ethnic group from Zone A and Zone B of the state. Other ethnic groups, such as the Idoma, Igede, Ufia, and Etilo, are left with deputy positions and treated as second-class citizens.

The petitioners expressed surprise that the recent ministerial nominee from Benue State, Prof. Joseph Utsev, also comes from the Tiv ethnic group, despite expectations that the nominee would have come from the Idoma/Igede axis (Benue South) to promote fairness and balance of political power.

The group appealed to President Tinubu, the Secretary to the Federal Government (SGF), Senator George Akume, the National Assembly, the Ministry of Justice, the National Security Adviser, and the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to rectify the situation and ensure that the ministerial slot for Benue State is given to the people of Benue South (Zone C), where the Idoma and Igede ethnic groups reside.

They emphasized that this action is crucial to address political marginalization and promote unity and inclusiveness in the state. The group further pointed out that Benue South Senatorial district has often been excluded from significant positions, including the governorship, and urged a fair distribution of political power to foster development and democracy in the region.