The Fulani hegemony has given its rating and conclusion on what they think about Senator George Akume, that the man cannot be trusted to lead the All Progressives Congress (APC). The North Central body of the party has decided and put forward Alhaji Tanko AL Makura, the former governor of Nasarawa state as the favoured candidate for the position of National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress.
The Tiv nation will not sympathize with Senator Akume! He has only received a befitting reward for betraying his people!
We don’t have to use a crystal ball to understand that such sensitive party positions are made possible by the leader of the party and it has been proven clearly that a man who easily betrays his own people like Akume has repeatedly done to the Tiv nation cannot be trusted to lead the APC in Nigeria. And it is such a tragic repetitive déjà veux that it throws us back to the NPN days when the NPN refused to back late Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka for the position of President. Akume should have learnt from that sad incident, but he didn’t. His own case was even worse because Tarka did not betray Tiv people. In fact, Tarka stood firmly for his people and protected their interest, yet, the Caliphate did not trust him with the leadership of the country.
George Akume has been used and dumped! Painful but true. But we cautioned him to thread carefully with mortal enemies of his people. Sad that his insatiable appetite for power and more power didn’t let him listen to the voice of reason.
It would be boring to regurgitate the serial incidents that the Fulani hegemony has put hurdles on the emergence of Tiv leadership in the Nigerian state. And JS Tarka was Akume’s kinsman from Mbakor, Jemgbagh and Tiv. These were all manipulations of the Fulani and it continues to this day.
We can only imagine gleefully that Akume has had it coming. He has been strident in his support for the Fulani cause even as they have desecrated Tiv land and this may be just comeuppance for all his search for vain glory and selfish labour against his people and fatherland. The din of disapproval against George Akume has expressed and extended to the Fulani massacre of the Tiv has been loud enough for the deaf to even hear. It has been explained that the man was protecting his job which is inexcusable.
At the level of metaphysics, the essence of a man is subsumed into the love and approval of his people. When he lost the senate race, it was concluded that it was as a result of his lack of empathy for his constituents and even as the pogrom has continued, he has never expressed palliative interest to the same constituents. Akume has never visited any of the IDP camps or even sent relief materials to the displaced people. He, instead, has been accusing the suffering victims that they are the ones killing themselves. This is sacrilegious! The actions of snitches cannot be used as an excuse for not supporting the victims. Wars are won and crises are contained by closing ranks rather than a belligerent display of non commitment to the public good.
George Akume will need a soft landing and we wonder where the cushions would come from. It cannot be here at home even though his party will use its spin doctors to spin a yarn of how things are. But it is out in the public glare and space that George Akume wanted a job bigger than his ministerial position and his ambition has fallen flat. It is a humiliation that will take some time to vanish because the damage is massive. It has been shown that he does not command the trust of the establishment and his support for the president and his Fulani tribe is second rate.
Akume’s fall from grace should serve as a reminder to other traitors of the Tiv nation that leadership is like a banana peel. When marching on it, one must hold onto his people for support and legitimacy. There is nothing more than home support for leaders who are out in the public space. This is because if your people are behind you, they will roll out the drums and deck you with garlands when you have been taken for a ride and given the short end of the stick as it has happened to Akume.
The Tiv nation will however not shed a tear for the Minister. He should lick his wounds and learn a bitter lesson.
For us here in Benue and even beyond, this has shown us that the APC agenda is anti Tiv and it is a belligerent party that bodes ill for our corporate existence. It is the height of impertinince that the Fulani would come to the Middle Belt and still choose a Fulani man above an indigene with a majority stake in Central Nigeria. It is a continuation of the jihadist agenda but we are vigilant and our defender of the Benue Valley is as vibrant as they come and we are resolute in support for his proven sense of commitment. He is not fair weather. He is a solid rock in the storm and will not leave us stranded when it matters most.
Akume’s rejection by the Fulani cabal in charge of APC also means that the man needs to show some remorse and atonement if he will reclaim some political relevance. He has become such a lame duck that if he does not show some level of piety by eating the humble pie, he will surely be dumped in the bin as a recluse who waged war against his people and committed political suicide.
Akume can dust himself up and take steps to rescue and restore his bruised ego with an unreserved public apology to his people. The Tiv are always forgiving.
Timothy Hembaor is the President-General of Tiv Youth Organization TYO, Worldwide.
