Nigerian Concord Newspaper
The occasion which was meant to be a celebration of Tiv culture in Gboko yesterday turned tragic as thugs linked with the camp of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume openly attacked supporters of Governor Hyacinth Alia with several weapons.
This is just as a pressure group, Benue Advocates for Peace has accused the SGF of sacrilege for instructing his police guards to fire tear gas on the governor, the Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse and the National Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, Professor Nentawe Yilwadta at the event which room place at KS Tarkaa Stadium in Gboko.
According to the advocacy group in a press release signed by its Chairman, Comrade Augustine Ikpawbese this morning, the crisis that happened at the Tiv Traditional Day in Gboko yesterday was as a result of the inciting statements which the former governor (Akume) made while delivering his speech.
The group wondered why the SGF decided to show up at the event after he had written the Tor Tiv that he would not be coming to take his own Chieftaincy title as a result of an official assignment he was going to fix in Germany on the order of President Bola Tinubu.
“Why did Senator Akume who should be a father to all decided to cause chaos at the event yesterday after he had said that he would not be attending owing to his foreign engagement in Germany. Does it mean that he canceled his trip to Germany just to come to Gboko to disrupt the TiV Day Celebration” the group said.
The group said further that it was when SGF Akume saw Ambassador Terhemen Tarzoor at the event that he started a verbal attack on the former Ambassador.
“Akume was verbally insulting Tarzoor, saying that he betrayed him for leaving his political camp to join Governor Hyacinth Alia. And at that point, the governor, APC national chairman and the Tor Tiv showed up, and that angered the SGF more. It was at that point that he ordered his police guards to fire tear gas at the the governor, Professor Nentawe, Tor Tiv and Tarzoor.
“It was also at this point that one of the SGF’s thugs identified as Norgba brought out a knife and stabbed a supporter of Governor Alia who is simply identified as Sende.
Recall that Norgba had recently attacked Chief Barnabas Gemade at the burial of Mike Mku’s wife for speaking against Akume’s unruly acts to the governor.
It was with the timely intervention of security personnel that Gemade was rescued from a visibly angry Norgba who was ready to stab him with a knife in his hand.
Speaking further on the development, Benue Advocates for Peace condemned Senator George Akume’s actions at the Tiv Day Celebration, saying that such shouldn’t be caught with an elder statesman like him.
The group however call on President Bola Tinubu to direct security agencies to investigate the crisis in Gboko and also sanction the SGF for bringing the name of the Federal Government to disrepute.
The group said that the position which Akume is holding is a revered position that shouldn’t be held by an impatient person.
“This is the same Senator George Akume that is scheming to be President Bola Tinubu’s runningmate in 2027 if the plan to drop Vice President Kassim Shetima scales through. How can such person be trusted with this kind of exalted position.” The statement noted.
The group also called on the Tiv Traditional Council to set up a panel where the SGF will come and explain his reason to disrupt a peaceful event where notable Benue sons and daughters were.
“Does it mean that the SGF doesn’t have any respect for the national chairman of the APC, the party that gave him the exalted position he is holding today” the statement concluded.