Akume’s aide to Alia: Forward names of politicians behind Benue insecurity to Tinubu

Terrence Kuanum, a special adviser to George Akume, secretary to the government of the federation (SGF), has responded to the recent comments by Hyacinth Alia, governor of Benue, on the insecurity in the state.

In an interview on Channels Television on Friday, Alia accused Akume and “his cronies” of not issuing a statement about the rising insecurity in the state.

Akume was the governor of Benue between 1999 and 2007.

The Benue governor said an interim report of a judicial panel he set up showed that politicians in Abuja and the national assembly were orchestrating the attacks in the state.

Alia did not disclose the names of the politicians indicted in the report which he said would be published next week Tuesday or Wednesday.

‘FORWARD THE NAMES OF INDICTED POLITICIANS TO TINUBU’

However, in a statement released on Saturday, Kuanum said Akume is deeply involved in the fight against insecurity in Benue and ensuring that reports on insecurity anywhere in the country are brought to the attention of President Bola Tinubu.

The SGF’s aide said the Benue governor either lacks a proper understanding of governance processes or is deliberately trying to sway public sentiment by expecting Akume to address the media on the insecurity issues in the state.

Kuanum asked Alia to forward the names of the politicians implicated in the report to President Tinubu and the federal security council.

“If the Governor of Benue State has expected that the SGF would be seen in the media discussing the efforts he has been making in that regard, then it betrays either a lack of understanding of governmental administrative procedure, or he is deliberately and unfortunately seeking to manipulate public sentiments against the SGF,” the statement reads.

“As a member of the Federal Security Council His Excellency Governor Hyacinth Alia very well understands how the Federal Executive Council functions and how it is through its channels of communication and administrative action, in which the SGF is centrally involved, that several security interventions have been made to Benue State and elsewhere towards tackling insecurity.

“It is also pertinent to remind His Excellency the Governor of Benue State that those he has persistently sought to label as cronies of the SGF in Abuja, particularly those in the National Assembly, have been most vociferous on the floor of the NASS in calling attention to issues of insecurity in Benue State.

“Distinguished Senators Titus Zam and Emmanuel Udende as well as members of the House of Representatives from Benue State have been up and doing consistently in keeping the issue of attacks, killings and kidnappings by suspected herdsmen, bandits and terrorists on the front burner of discussion in both chambers of the NASS.

“Those efforts by the Benue lawmakers in the NASS have resulted in a number of motions which have gotten the attention and action of the Federal Executive Council.

“By his official designation, the SGF is permitted more of asymmetrical contributions to the scourge of insecurity in Nigeria, which yields more telling impact, than if he were to be mounting the rostrum to publicly discuss what he does regarding the matter.

“On the allegations by His Excellency the Governor that the report of his Panel of Inquiry indicts certain persons of complicity in fuelling insecurity in a part of Benue State, it is noteworthy that by administrative procedure, such reports are taken through stages of vetting and gazetting into a White Paper before their content may be deemed as a credible and official position of Government.

“But since His Excellency the Governor has chosen, perhaps as a result of how burning the issue is, to let the cat out of the bag before the administrative procedure, we urge him to make good on his word and expose those involved in the crime of aiding and abetting insecurity in his state.

“His Excellency the Governor of Benue State must understand that his allegations and preemptive indictment of the persons so fingered now carry the weight of national security concern and must be treated as such.

“He should forward to His Excellency the President and to the Federal Security Council the names of those so indicted and their roles in sponsoring, aiding and abetting insecurity in Benue State as he claimed, and should also bring it publicly to the attention of the whole world who those enemies of Benue State are.”

Recently, there have been rumours that the relationship between Akume and Alia is not cordial over political leadership in the state.

In April 2024, the Tiv traditional council reconciled the duo during a meeting in the state.