Tiv youth group fingers Akume as overlord of ‘politics of bitterness’ in Benue

A group of Benue youths of Tiv extraction, have accused the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs and former governor of the state, Sen. George Akume, of championing what they described as ‘politics of bitterness’ in the state.

The group called Tiv Youth Organization, TYO, decried the political divisions created by politicians.

TYO in a statement released by its President General, Timothy Hembaor, and made available to IDOMA VOICE on Thursday, lamented that Benue politicians created divisions just for their factional interests.

The statement titled ‘SEN. AKUME, TIME TO END POLITICS OF BITTERNESS IS NOW!’ partly read; “It is no longer a secret that the Benue political landscape has been so badly divided into two fire-eating factions ever ready to devour each other.

Just for the sake of ensuring factional supremacy, cock and bull stories are told with impunity so long as they justify factional interests. We have carelessly wrecked the delicate alliances that normally hold our society together. We have motored our diplomacy and animated our polity with lies and deception.”

The group went memory lane to recount how Benue especially Tiv people have for long been be devilled by politics of bitterness.

It continued: “In the First Republic, Tiv people benefited nothing from politics but lost the symbols and evidence of their underdevelopment as they burnt down their thatched huts and granaries and slaughtered themselves to put a stamp of supremacy on the land with their blood. Our society was up against itself just to establish the supremacy of J S Tarka’s UMBC. NPC leaders manipulated the machinery of government only to inflict injury and pain on UMBC supporters and sought no comfort for their NPC men.

“In the Second Republic, divisions between the supporters of Paul Unongo of the NPP and those of Aper Aku of the NPN went to the abysmal levels of shame. The pinnacles of the shame of that era still lies in the mindless accusation by Paul Loko that, Aper Aku as governor of Benue State, masterminded the crisis between the Tiv and Ibos in Gboko and stole a bed from the market. Similarly, on 9th June, 1982, Mr. SJI Akure, swore to an affidavit at the Makurdi High Court that, governor Aper Aku was operating overseas bank accounts, only for the prosecution to discover that the listed accounts were owned by Newswatch Magazine. It is also on record that, during this infamous era, Unongo’s nephew, Mr. John Ugba, a postgraduate student in the United States who was on vacation was brutally murdered and butchered into pieces on his way to Unongo village.
In the Third Republic, Gov. Adasu came into office with a magic wand and with a clear demonstration that he knew what he wanted. But the Unongo /Iornem led faction in the ruling SDP grounded Adasu before the military interegnum.”

TYO recounted how Sen. Akume was been plotted against by ‘all political elites in Benue State’ in the fourth republic.

The statement further read: “During the Fourth Republic, Governor George Akume was fought by all political elites in Benue State to the extent that Wantaregh Paul Unongo was recruited from the opposing ANPP to come and lead the war against Akume. Senators David Mark, Banarbas Gemade and Chief Paul Unongo petitioned the then president Obasanjo on why Governor Akume must be taken to the political cross for crucification. These three Benue sons finally led the Benue delegation of prominent Benue elites to Obasanjo; that Akume must no longer be politically alive. The rest of that conspiracy is now history, but how well Akume was distracted at the detriment of our development must surely find its shameful place in the annals of the history of our underdevelopment beyond this century.”

TYO opined that Akume handpicked former Governor Gabriel Suswam as his successor ‘to oil his personal ego’.

“The ‘Ugba nyor; shor chengi’ of the Suswam era, orchestrated by Sen. George Akume to oil his personal ego speaks in volumes on how we always loose out of beneficial governance in the hands of leaders made-up factionalization.”

On Governor Ortom, the group said: “Today, under Governor Samuel Ortom, if we are not already at the abyss of shame, we are at the precipice of it. Presently, every problem in Benue is just a consequence of the war for factional supremacy. Party cleavages have been dissolved. All politicians in Benue, from top to buttom are either in Akume or Ortom factions. And from the biggest down to the smallest political followers in the state, smear and calummy is the order of the day.”

The group accused Sen. Akume of ‘telling the world that Tiv people are killing themselves and not Fulani’ just because of factional supremacy.

“Against this background, the excellence of Samuel Ortom in ensuring development and particularly safety of lives and property in the state must be discredited. Because of factional supremacy, there is a mounted structure sponsored and supervised by the Akume led APC in the state to ensure that nobody realizes that in the more than five (5) years, Ortom has put in so much to rescue Benue from annexation and occupation by Fulani. Just because of ensuring factional supremacy, Sen. George Akume will come down from his upper chair to the international podium and tell the world that Tiv people are killing themselves and not Fulani. Just because of factional supremacy, Sen. George Akume will gladly tell the Inspector General of Police that Governor Ortom is empowering Tiv to defend themselves.
Fulani are killing defenseless Tiv people every day in cold blood in their numbers without help from the Presidency. Despite all these, Sen. George Akume sees nothing good except allegations of corruption in the Ortom administration because Buhari is his political leader and mentor.”

TYO faulted Akume’s body language to the Tiv-Faluni crisis stating that the national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, and the entire south-west are very vocal against the Fulani banditry in the region despite benefiting so much from the President Buhari-led government.

“Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu is the national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and is currently habouring a presidential ambition on the platform of the party, yet he went to the defense of his Yoruba people when they came under threat by Fulani herdsmen. Tinubu issued an undiluted statement in condemnation of Fulani’s action and the inaction of the Presidency. About 90% of South West governors are from All Progressives Congress APC, but they have banned open grazing in their respective states, yet the Yoruba that have hugely benefited from APC government with vice president, ministers, HoR Speaker and countless federal appointments back their governors. It was last week that Governor Akeredolu, the Chairman of South West Governors’ Forum informed the Presidency via the AG that they were ready to enforce their ban with vigor. Akeredolu is a sitting Governor under APC.”

The group asserted that: “The Honourable Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs is one of the few sons of Benue who have been shown immense love by Benue people. He has been voted into office more times than any other Tiv son living or dead. It is sad that he has chosen to reward the state with hatred! If Benue falls to the sword of the enemy tomorrow (God forbid), where will Sen. Akume call his home again? Being politically correct when your people are facing the biggest threat to their existence is the worst example from a man who should be a role model to the younger generation.”

TYO called on the minister to end politics of bitterness as there is no better time than now.

“If all this is politics, it is certainly not the essence and purpose of politicking. Sen. George Akume must lead by example as a former Governor of our state. Time to stop politics of bitterness is now!” it added.