Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Benue For Good Governance has accused the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume and members of his political family led by the Senator representing Benue Northwest, Dr. Titus Zam of cooking false allegation that the governor of Benue State, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia has ordered for the assassination of the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Maurice Ikpambese.
Recall that some Online Newspapers had yesterday reported it that Governor Hyacinth Alia had commissioned two unnamed persons to perfect the assassination of Justice Ikpambese as a result of a cold war between the Chief Judge and the governor.
The online report pressed further that a former member of the State House of Assembly and a former administrator (not named) convened two meetings in Ayati village and Gboko at the instance of the governor where the funds needed for the assassination were released.
But reacting in a press statement signed and made available to journalists in Makurdi this morning by Chief Barnabas Iho, PhD, the Chairman of Benue for Good Governance, the group said the allegation was maliciously created to tarnish the image of Governor Alia by his enemies.
The group pressed further that Governor Alia has no reason to call for the assassination of anyone not to talk of a whole Chief Judge of Benue state, stressing that those behind the allegation are the so-called Benue APC stakeholders who are working with the SGF to bring Governor Alia to disrepute
Benue for Good Governance said that it’s time for the Nigerian Judicial Council , NJC to quickly call Justice Ikpambese to order so he can stop using his exalted office to work as a “house boy” to politicians.
The group accused the Chief Judge of using his exalted office to work hand in hand with politicians to put Benue state on fire. “The first assignment they gave the Chief Judge was to make nominees from Senator George Akume members of the Benue State Local Government Election Petition Tribunal. This they are doing to wrestle power with the governor” the group said.
The statement reads in parts: “Their plan now is to start using the Chief Judge to approve judgements in favour of Senator George Akume political camp just to suppress the voice of the masses in the ongoing leadership tussle in the state chapter of All Progressive Congress.
“The most baffling aspect of it is that the Chief Judge has ridiculed his office by allowing himself to be used to do the bidding of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and his men.
“In the report, they claimed that Governor Alia had paid members of the State House of Assembly to fast track the removal of the Chief Judge, and we challenge them to bring proofs that such financial transactions truly took place.
“Why would Governor Alia want to remove the Chief Judge from office or why will he even want to assassinate him in the first place. If they say there is a cold war between the Governor and the Chief Judge, let them provide the public with an evidence.
“Funny enough, they mentioned a former lawmaker and a former administrator as the people in charge of the assassination plot. Why did they hide their identities if truly they have their facts about the allegation. We also challenge the accusers to make the names of the two actors known to the public, or do they want to hide their names so it will be easy for alleged assassination plot to scale through”
Benue For Good Governance urged the Chief Judge to operate with clean hands and stop joining fake accusers to accuse the state governor of plotting his assassination.
The group however threatened to take the matter to the NJC for proper investigation if the Chief Judge doesn’t desist from acts that tend to ruin the reputation of the Judiciary.