By Amos Aar
GOVERNOR Hyacinth Alia of Benue State has disowned a call by his recently appointed gubernatorial liaison officers (GLOs) for the removal of Senator George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
The call followed alleged derogatory remarks against the governor at the burial rites of the late Wantaregh Paul Unongu in Kwande LGA.
In a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Tersoo Kula, who acknowledged the call for Akume’s sack as SGF by the GLOs, he however noted that it was purely their views and not that of the governor.
“While the point of view expressed in the communiqué must have clearly reflected the concerns of these appointees, it is most critical to specifically point out that they do not represent in any way, an official stance of the Governor.
“The group that issued the statement comprises adults and are entitled to express their opinions autonomously. They did not claim to speak on behalf of Governor Alia, nor did they insinuate that their call for action was sanctioned by him,” Kula stated.
The statement released on Sunday, entitled: “Governor Alia has Never Called for Akume’s Sack,” reads:
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“Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has not called for the sack of Sen. George Akume, as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
“This rebuttal is necessitated by the mischief making the rounds in the media sponsored by the SGF’s proxies who are desperate to blackmail the Governor and distract him from the unprecedented developmental strides he is doing in the state.
“These desperados based their mischievous outing on the communiqué by a group of appointees of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
“However, it is necessary to throw light on the context surrounding the call for the removal of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
“While the point of view expressed in the communiqué must have clearly reflected the concerns of these appointees, it is most critical to specifically point out that they do not represent in any way, an official stance of the Governor.
“The group that issued the statement comprises adults and are entitled to express their opinions autonomously. They did not claim to speak on behalf of Governor Alia, nor did they insinuate that their call for action was sanctioned by him.
“Moreover, the Governor has consistently maintained a professional decorum and has refrained from going public to accuse the SGF despite the provocations perpetually directed at him by the SGF’s political allies and associates including his wife who is a member of the House of Representatives.
“If Governor Alia wants to call for Akume’s sack, he certainly knows exactly what to do and where to channel his request the same way he channeled his preference and recommendations for him before he was appointed SGF.
“Nevertheless, the ongoing attacks and public ridicule directed at the Governor from Akume’s circle are regrettable, yet Governor Alia has chosen to respond with restraint rather than retaliatory measures.
“The insinuation that Governor Alia orchestrated the call for the SGF’s removal is a misleading narrative that serves only to distract from the real issues at hand. The Governor remains focused on delivering the dividends of democracy to the people of Benue State and will not be swayed by unfounded allegations or attempts at blackmail.
“It is common knowledge that Alia has come with a very positive narrative to governance. Benue has suffered underdevelopment for too long to mess with this opportunity.
“Therefore, it is time to rise above retrogressive ideological maneuvering and commonly work for the betterment of our state.
“Let it be unambiguous: the Reverend gentleman is not in the Food Basket Government House for petty engagements. He is totally committed to his mandate and will continue to project steadily the interests of Benue State over personal or political grievances. Enough is enough of the ungodly attempts to queer the pitch of his leadership through unfounded accusations. The focus should remain on governance and the progress of our great state.”
