Benue National Assembly caucus blasts Akume, demands he apologizes to Tor Tiv
The Benue state caucus in the National Assembly has condemned the verbal attacks on the Chairman of the Benue state Council of Chiefs and the Tor Tiv, Prof. James Ayatse by the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs, Senator George Akume.
The caucus noted that the Tiv monarch must be respected without any preconditions by all Benue sons and daughters regardless of their status and locations, and urged Sen. Akume to tender an unreserved apology to traditional ruler with immediate effect.
“It is therefore, totally unacceptable for a Benue son and particularly, a man who has occupied the highest positions of leadership in the state and beyond to deliberately seek to denigrate the sanctity of the institution of the Tor Tiv.
“We find the recent uncomplimentary and derogatory remarks by the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs, Sen. George Akume most unfortunate and if allowed to go unchecked, portends grave consequences not only on the image of Benue state, but also would set a negative precedence for the present and future generations,” the caucus observed in a statement made available to newsmen.
The statement signed by Senators Gabriel Suswam, Emmanuel Orker Jev, Abba Moro and seven members of the House of Representatives, condemned in strong terms the minister’s regrettable utterances against the Tor Tiv and urged Sen. Akume to de-escalate the ugly situation in the best interest of the state and tender an unreserved apology to the Tiv monarch.
The statement furthermore, sounded a note of caution to other elders who ordinarily should be looked up to as peace makers in times such as this, but who have opted to rather fuel the crisis in the state for whatever reasons.
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The caucus members particularly, view as highly condemnable, the comments by elder Simon Shango, who lacks the integrity to comment on an issue that has the tendency to divide the state, but chose to take sides with Sen. Akume in further castigating the Tor Tiv against whom he levied unfounded allegations of partisanship.
It urged all Benue sons and daughters to uphold the cherished values of the state, prominent amongst which are the respect for constituted authorities and elders as well as the custodians of the state’s cultural heritage, the traditional rulers.
