By Ogechi Okorie
Benue – Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Senator George Akume is speaking against Benue people because he does not want his sins to be remembered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), an elder statesman in the State, Mr. Williams Terwase has said.
He stated this in reaction to George Akume’s comment against the State Governor, Samuel Ortom.
Terwase said in a statement obtained by Sundiata Post that people of Benue State have united against the killings of and genocide against their defenceless people except for Akume who feels he is romancing with the Presidency because of the position of a Minister given to him.
Recall that Governor Ortom had on a Channels Television programme, Sun Rise Daily, accused President Mohammedu Buhari for Fulanising the country, and playing to the gallery on the issues of insecurity.
However, after the interview, Akume held a press briefing in Abuja, asking Ortom to apologise to Buhari and calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), to pick up the governor after his tenure.
Responding, Terwase cautioned Akume for castigating Ortom for speaking out against the herdsmen’s attacks in Benue State and worsening insecurity in the country.
Terwase said Ortom has not done anything outside his constitutional duties and has not descended to inciting crisis in the country as being alleged by the Presidency.
He said the minister is speaking against his people because he does not want his sins to be remembered by the EFCC.
“Is Akume not in the ruling party because he does not want his sins to be remembered by the EFCC?”
“As expected, Senator Akume and his group avoided responding to the issues of insecurity in the country which the governor has repeatedly and rightly accused the Presidency of complicity.
“The outing of George Akume and others in Abuja was nothing more than a massage on the ego of the Presidency to curry personal favours.
“As long as he and his group secure their plate of maze, Benue can go to hell.
“Akume and his group must have been under immense pressure to hold the press conference and hurl vituperation against the governor. This, they had to do to keep their jobs.
“The leadership of APC in Benue, having lost grip of the party membership in the state with hundreds defecting to PDP every week, now see a window of opportunity to relaunch themselves into relevance.
“As a two-term former Governor of Benue State, it is shocking that Akume is now calling for the declaration of state of emergency in the state to dismantle democratic structures.”
“The message the governor had consistently passed across to Buhari and the entire country was that Benue people were being attacked by suspected armed Fulani herdsmen and that the development was becoming unbearable”, Terwase said.
