Nigerian Concord Newspaper
Various Benue advocacy groups have accused the senator representing Benue Northwest Senatorial Zone, Mr. Titus Zam of abandoning the entire people of Jemgbah, MINDA and Gboko in his ongoing empowerment which he originally said was meant for the entire Benue Northwest.
Reacting to the development in a press statement this afternoon, the Abuja Branch of Jemgbah Development Forum through its President, Barrister Joseph Igbudu, Esq said that it’s sad that Senator Zam finally fulfilled his promise that he is in the Senate only to please the SGF, Senator George Akume and not to develop the senatorial zone.
Recall that Senator Titus Zam had recently made a comment in the media that he has nothing to do with the people of Zone B for as long as he is able to satisfy his godfather, Senator George Akume.
Speaking further, the Jemgbah Development Forum said that it personally sent people to witness the ongoing empowerment if truly it was for the entire Zone B but information from the venue confirmed that the said empowerment is just for the people of Wanune in Tarka which is Senator George Akume’s local government.
According to the group, the empowerment which should be held in Gboko which is the traditional headquarters of Tiv is being held in Wanune just because the senator wants to please Senator George Akume.
The group threatened that the people of Jemgbah will surely pay the senator back in his own coin during the 2027 election when he will be seeking for a reelection.
“He has abandoned us by giving his empowerment to the people of Wanune in Tarka local government alone, leaving us, the MINDA and the people of Gboko out despite that he got reasonable votes from us in 2023. We are expecting him to come and tell us what he has achieved or what we have achieved through him for him to merit a reelection ” the statement reads in parts.
Also reacting to the development, the MINDA Descendants Association, Abuja branch said that it’s not today that Senator Zam has been shortchanging the MINDA people. The group recalled how Senator Zam abandoned the MINDA people when he was the Special Adviser in the Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs between 2015 and 2018.
The MINDA Descendants Association which spoke in another press statement signed by its Secretary, Comrade Jude Iorfa condemned the whole empowerment exercise, noting that it was only to please the SGF and the people of Wanune alone.
The group wondered why the empowerment didn’t go round the entire Zone B as originally promised by the senator.
“Senator Zam is coming home for the first time after three years in office to do an empowerment and he chose to ignore the people of MINDA and some other areas just because he wants to satisfy the people of Wanune where Senator George Akume hails from. Why is he coming to do the empowerment a month to the forthcoming primary elections?
“One can now believe that Senator Zam is only in the Senate because of Senator George Akume and not because of the people of Benue Northwest Senatorial Zone who elected him as senator in 2023” the group said.
However, the President of Gboko Sons and Daughters in Abuja, Mrs Elizabeth Teryila who spoke with one of our reporters over the telephone said that any Benue Northwest empowerment that is done outside Gboko is null and void as it doesn’t have the blessing of the Tiv Traditional Council.
The group wondered why Gboko was not the place where the empowerment event took place, noting that the action has once again reminded the people of Gboko that Senator Zam is fighting and punishing them because of the relationship between Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse and Governor Hyacinth Alia.