Nigerian Concord Newspaper
***Warns SGF against planned call for Emergency Rule
Benue Action Against Bad Governance and Insecurity has accused the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume of plotting to use the parallel House of Assembly of thirteen suspended lawmakers which has just elected Hon. Manger Manger as its factional Speaker to cause serious political tensions in Benue state.
Recall that thirteen members of the Assembly were on Wednesday suspended at an emergency session presided over by the Speaker, Dajoh Aondoana for going behind to speak at a press conference against a joint decision of the entire lawmakers of the Assembly to recommend the suspension of the state Chief Judge, Justice Maurice Ikpambese over some allegations ranging from financial mismanagement to abuse of office.
Their action which led to their suspension according to Dajoh was amounted to insubordination and abuse of their offices as state lawmakers.
Speaking in a press conference on Thursday night in Makurdi, the group which was led by its national president, Barrister Samuel Sango, PHD frowned at Senator George Akume over his plots to put Benue state on fire.
According to the group, the SGF initiated meetings in his Makurdi residence this evening where a Factional Speaker emerged. “Hon. Manger Manger was illegally elected as a factional Speaker, and he is to be used by Senator Akume to cause tension in Benue state so as to perfect his plans to call on the Presidency for a State of Emergency ” the group said.
The group also lamented the role which it said the Nigerian Police, the DSS and Civil Defence are playing in the Benue Assembly crisis by giving protection and cover to Suspended lawmakers. “Once you are Suspended, you cannot function until the suspension is lifted. So why are the security agencies protecting the thirteen sacked lawmakers on the order of the SGF. Why is Senator who is supposed to be working towards President Tinubu ‘s reelection in 2027 be the one creating tension that will scuttle the chance of the president to win Benue state in the next election. Benue and Kwara states gave President Bola Tinubu the highest numbers of votes in the North Central in 2023 and that is what the SGF should be working towards now and not trying to do things that will make the president lose Benue state in 2027” the group warned.
The group also called on President Bola Tinubu and heads of Nigeria’s security agencies to quickly call Senator George Akume to order, noting that the SGF is working with the three senators from Benue state, Abba Moro, Emmanuel Udende and Titus Zam to cause anarchy in the state by constituting an illegal House of Assembly which just elected a factional Speaker.
“Their plan is to use the factional Assembly which will be led by Manger Manger to impeach Speaker Dajoh Aondoana. After that, they will proceed to impeach Governor Alia and his deputy, Dr. Sam Ode and then instal their factional Speaker as Acting Governor. According to information at our disposal, they have arranged with security security agencies to perfect these plans. Some heavily armed security agents from Abuja arrived Makurdi this evening in twenty five unmarked Toyota Hummer buses to give protection to the parallel Assembly as they begin their sittings tomorrow, Friday.
“They know that the people of Benue who gladly voted for Alia as their governor won’t accept this. They know that the governor and his people too won’t accept this and this will create a serious crisis in the state. As a result of the crisis which they have orchestrated, the three senators will easily pushed for a State of Emergency in Benue state on the floor of the Senate”
The group pleaded with President Bola Tinubu not to allow the ongoing Assembly crisis in Benue state degenerate to a call for a State of Emergency by those that have been planning it for the past one year.
The group said it’s when they couldn’t use the herders/farmers clashes to perfect a State of Emergency in Benue state that they want to use a parallel House of Assembly to actualize their dream.
According to the group,the Dajoh-led House of Assembly has not committed any crime in Suspending a corrupt Chief Judge who had turned his office into a place where politicians now come to make plans against a sitting governor.
They lauded the Assembly for its bold steps to list the offences of the suspended Chief Judge who has been issuing garnishee orders against the state government because of an influence from the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
They frowned at the financial recklessness and partisanship of Justice Maurice Ikpambese which is actually part of why he was suspended by the state lawmakers.
They wondered why the three Senators from Benue were calling on the Senate to take over the operations of the Benue State House of Assembly despite that it was glaring that the Chief Judge was Suspended because he abused his exalted office and also committed some fraudulent activities.
The group said: How can they start defending a Chief Judge who has been accused of abuse of office by issuing a directive to overturn the Benue State Electoral Law passed by the Benue State House of Assembly and assented to by the Governor of the State, Misappropriation and mismanagement of the Budgetary Allocation and Finances of the Benue State Judiciary, Engagement with politicians and political office holders for favourable judicial outcomes, Indirect participation and incitement of the industrial actions against the State executive, Acts of bribery and corruption and undue favoritism and dire insistence on cronies holding unmerited positions’