From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Two major tribes in Benue State, Tiv and Idoma, have declared war against each other over nomination of Joseph Utsev for ministerial position and appointment of George Akume as Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
While the Idomas are crying marginalisation that the duo are of Tiv extraction, the Tivs claimed the Idomas have dominated federal appointments in the past, citing David Mark and Abba Moro, who were Senate president and Minister of Interior respectively under the same government.
Miffed by the complaints from Idomas, Tiv Youth Council Worldwide, condemned the statement credited to the Coalition of Idoma professionals led by Inalegwu Adaje.
President of umbrella body of Tiv Youths, Mike Msuaan, described the statement as most regrettable, pitiable and a display of ignorance of the workings of democracy.
He insisted that the Idoma coalition lacked the moral right to cry injustice as they have not just represented same but also marshaled, promoted and benefited from injustice against the Tiv people over the years.
Msuaan reminded the coalition of Idoma professionals that in 2007, one of their own, Mark, was made Senate president, and in 2011, Moro was appointed minister of interior from the same idoma extraction. He claimed that the Tiv people have witnessed the height of injustice with Tiv names removed from Tiv Local government area and replaced with Idoma names in employments and recruitment into military and paramilitary outfits. He said George Akume has been of great help and assistance to many prominent sons of Idoma extraction and dexzerved to be supported by all and not envied.
He also claimed that in the build up to the 2023 general elections, the Idoma nation boldly rejected the APC and mobilized their people to vote against the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Kashim Shettima presidential ticket tagging it a Muslim/Muslim ticket.
“Why should they expect appointments from the same man? Why should the monkey be working and the baboon be expecting to be chopping, or why should a police man expect to receive salary as a military man? We challenge AVM Morgan, Gen. Lawrence Onoja, Audu Ogbeh to produce a clip of any event they campaigned for Tinubu. They should produce the results from their polling units or wards. These are politically irrelevant people who cannot deliver their polling units. The Idoma professional coalition and their sponsors must know that the APC lost the presidential election woefully in their area and should not expect to be patronized by the APC government.,” Msuaan said.
He said democracy was a game of numbers and majority rule, and that the majority will always have their way in a democratic system, such as practiced in the country. “The Tiv people are majority in the state and have proven so with their numerical voting strength. Adaje should know that, in 2027, the Tiv people can decide to field a Tiv/ Tiv ticket and win the gubernatorial elections with such voting strength. We are the fourth largest ethnic group in the country and will continue to determine who governs the state with our majority votes,” he said.