The Chairman, All Progressives Congress, APC, Stakeholders Forum, Tongov in Katsina Ala Local Government of Benue State, Hon Tyosar Anjo has appealed for concerted efforts towards building enduring peace and unity between Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Senator George Akume.
Hon Anjo made the appeal in a statement entitled: “Ayoosu a Akume man Alia abee Keng- Keng- ahemba doon”. (Misunderstanding between Alia and Akume must end for good”; said, Benue would benefit hugely when the duo are working together with out distractions and the ploys being created by cheer leaders for disunity.
He said concerned APC members must reflect on the past when the former governor of the State, Samuel Ortom abandoned the APC midway and robbed the party of its victory for the governorship to pitch tent with the People’s Democratic Party, PDP.
According to him, the situation brought serious frustrations and setbacks to the APC and warned of a repeat saying the party must value the unity of purpose it enjoyed during campaigns and work assiduously to sustain it in order to consolidate on its high prospects in 2027.
He stated that from the vantage position, both Governor Hyacinth Alia and Senator George Akume are people of peace and forgiving hearts and should be encouraged to uphold the great virtues and not the planting of seeds of discord and disharmony as a few of the cheer leaders are doing.
The party Chairman said, from his view point, what the political class in the State should be concerned with should be on how they can support these leaders to build capacity for future opportunities that may arise in the middle belt particularly the succession to President Bola Tinubu noting that the two are key pillars that the Tiv nation must build for a better tomorrow.
Hon Anjo who offered to lead the campaign for unity and harmonious working relationship between the duo appealed that the APC leadership should find ways of wadding off enemies of progress and detractors who seems bent on fostering disunity and hate between the two leaders for selfish gains.
He stated that the governor and the SGF are compassionate leaders with peaceful dispositions, therefore, it will make the peace building Initiative work easier to handle.
” I appeal that these two leaders should evoke their spirits of forgiveness as they had exhibited in Akume/Ortom and Alia/Gemade and exercise their matured conduct and capacity to shove aside all lingering issues of backwardness.
” Let them find a way out of this situation because they have assumed special roles as heads of the APC family and Benue State at large.
“As their children we have grown to adults, therefore, it is becoming embarrassing for them to remain in the cold relationship”, he urged.
He frowned at the activities of cheer leaders who instead of building peace between the two are rather fanning embers of hate and disunity for selfish reasons and sued for restraint.
” It is surprising that members of the party who should even be concerned about unity are the ones pushing for strife and they keep stressing their powers as if they are not cognizant of the positions they are occupying. This is not correct “, he maintained.
The Forum Chairman therefore suggested the formation of a group of like minds in the APC, and who have the interest to pursue enduring peace and unity and offered to take the lead in the process.
He, however noted that the problem being created is the imaginary disunity by close associates of these leaders, who, he maintained must be stopped for peace, love and unity for the greater glory of Benue.
