By Joseph Unongo
The article by Leonard Karshima Shilgba, with the aforementioned title, depicted Benue’s stark reality. But the wtiter Shilgba’s cautious rhetoric without calling a spade, spade detracts largely from it s essence.
Akume was railroaded by Gemade as Governor. His first immediate act of betrayal was to deny the Ministerial slot that was unmistakenly Gemade’s.
He followed through to dislodge Gemade as national PDP chairman for Audu Ogbe. Akume consistently bit the finger that fed him without looking back, all in an effort to maintain his absolute hold onto his executive powers as the governor of the state. Why does he think Karma will not catch up with him.
Akume laid the foundation of the personalization of power in Benue State against building strong, productive institutions with effective governance models. He weaponised poverty against the people for political control by destroying every wealth creation initiative of the Aku administration, including killing the erstwhile viable local govts, by the take over of local government funds.
He has ensured the continuity of his governance phylisophy through his selection of Governors and the bid to firmly control them when he refused to be controlled!
When you have the same response from three different governors, it could only be pointing clearly to one consistent problem: The fish starts to rot from the head!!!
Gov Alia on the other hand, while being appreciated by his payment of civil/public servants and pensioners, and qualitative roads infrastructure development, seems to have been tactless by fighting too many wars in all fronts and forgetting the real mandate expected of him: To reverse every inch of the Akume’s self-centered governance phylisophy to a wealth creation, people centered governance across the social strata of the state as enshrined by Gov Aku.
When you have the same response Akume is unable to transform into the North Central Geopolitical zonal leader that he should be, and prefers to remain a local leader that he ought to have outgrown, like his co-governorship colleague, now President Tinubu.
Agro processing centers across senatorial districts to spark a viable Agro chain for wealth creation across board and the release of local govt autonomy to revamp the rural economies, would’ve combined to enhance his goodwill, by liberating the people from the strangle hold of Akume and completely eroding his political base, without engaging in any power tussle with his benefactor, to incur the blackmail he has submitted himself to.
BENUE STATE IS NOT & SHOULD NEVER BE ABOUT ANY INDIVIDUAL.
