A concerned Benue group, We are United Benue, led by Dr. Eunice Bosua has frowned at the statement issued last weekend by an elder statesman, Chief Audu Ogbeh, over President Bola Tinubu’s recent ministerial nomination as it concerns Benue State
In a press statement on Tuesday, the group regretted that Chief Ogbeh’s message to President Tinubu on the issue of the Benue ministerial nomination was uncalled for and embroidered with ethnic bigotry.
The statement said: “Benue at this time should be applauding the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for recognizing Benue son with key position. We need to be more united to attract more political dividends now than ever.
“I don’t want to engage him in who he is but going by his training and exposure, Ogbeh is the least person I expected to have led such ethnic chauvinism especially against the Tiv people.
“Currently, in Benue State, Dr. Mrs. Mary Ada Ogbe is the only Permanent Secretary in the Federal Civil Service from Benue State. She is an Idoma from zone C. Arch. Sunday Echono, the powerful former Permanent Secretary in the Federal Ministry of Education, is the current Executive Secretary of the mighty TETFUND. He is an Idoma from Zone C. Maj. Gen. JO Ochai is the 32nd Commandant of the NDA. He is an Idoma from Zone C. The three career ambassadors from Benue State are all Idoma from Zone C.
“These are just few examples out of many. Can Audu Ogbeh and his co-travellers say they are not aware?
“The Idomas dominate federal institutions compared to the Tiv. No day have the Tiv who are majority ever come out to say anything. Whenever an Idoma man is given a position, the Tiv will congratulate him or her with open mind.
“During the reign of David Mark as Senate President, Mr Abba Moro was the Minister of Interior and the Tiv had a Minister of State. No one said anything. The fact that the Tiv are always content with what they have is not to be taken for granted.
“In 2015, the Idoma nation rejected APC but the Tiv overwhelmingly voted for Muhammadu Buhari. Because of the number of the Tiv against the Idoma, Buhari and the APC won Benue State in a landslide. When it came to appointment, Audu Ogbeh was appointed the Minister from Benue State even though he could not even deliver his polling unit let alone his council ward to APC. The Tiv didn’t raise any opposing voice.
“In 2023 again, the Idoma rejected President Tinubu even though they are occupying prime positions. If Ogbeh is a man of little conscience, he won’t be talking of Idoma not being nominated for the ministerial position if not on the basis of mischief.
“I don’t know who can tell Mr Ogbeh about the adage “he who comes to equity must come with clean hands.” He should have been telling President Bola Tinubu how the Idoma voted for him but in turn have not been given anything in the APC government. He would have gone with bags of evidence; giving booth by booth analysis of their electoral supports to Tinubu during the election. But it can’t catch my imagination how all these sniffed out of his head and George Akume became the subject of Ogbeh’s complaints.
“Chief Audu Ogbeh is a leader of the Northern Elders Forum, a group that should be looking for peaceful coexistence amongst the North. Instead of finding solutions to devastating terrorists attacks in the North, Ogbeh is reducing himself to an ethnic warlord fighting for a fictional equity. Is that how the tribe, Tiv, gives others sleepless nights?
“I believe Ogbeh is fully aware and enjoying the age long domination of the “effective minority” at the federal level. His recent outburst is nothing but an attempt to attract hatred from unsuspecting members of the public against the person of George Akume and render the SGF ineffective. It seems Ogbeh and his co-travellers are just a set of an overwhelming jealous tribal bigots who are having sleepless nights on how to bring George Akume down.
“I hereby call on Mr Ogbeh to steer clear from further blackmail against the Tiv nation. Because such will definitely meet a brick wall.”
