From Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
The Benue Youth Forum has disowned the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, George Akume, following his recent outing in Abuja to draw conclusions on issues in Benue State.
The Forum called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sack him from his cabinet with immediate effect and replace him with a credible Benue son or daughter.
The former Benue governor had on Monday held a press conference in Abuja where he urged the Federal Government to probe incumbent Governor Samuel Ortom and declare a state of emergency in Benue.
Reacting to the development, the BYF in a statement by its President, Terrence Kuanum, called on the Benue State Council of Chiefs to swiftly take drastic action by placing heavy sanctions on Akume and his allies to serve as a deterrent to others.
Part of the statement read:
‘We watched with shock unfolding events since the patriotic appearance of Governor Samuel Ortom and other patriotic Nigerians on Channels TV.
‘While every other Nigerian was applauding Governor Ortom for such a courageous and patriotic act, the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs Sen George Akume and his APC group in the Benue have embarked on all manner of antics to align with the failed government of President Muhammadu Buhari to cause us more pain and ridicule us before the rest of the world.
‘It’s quite disturbing that a serving Minister who has spent two years plus attending the federal executive council meetings without a memo on the suffering of the over 1.5 million IDPs in his state and non to find a way to rebuild our destroyed communities will be going up and down in the presidential villa strategising on how to attack our patriotic governor just to please his paymasters who are out to kill us and grab our land.
‘From today, anything he does at the Federal Executive Council is in his own personal and selfish interest and not in the collective interest of Benue people. We disown Akume and call on President Buhari to sack the Minister with immediate effect and replace him with a credible Benue son or daughter.
‘We will not accept sabotage from any son of Benue in the struggle to liberate our people. The objective is clear that we will protect our people with any commiserate measure of action taken against us since no one including our very own working with our enemies but have sadly become moles amongst us,’ the Forum said.
The Benue youths also pledged their unalloyed support to Governor Samuel Ortom and his administration assuring that they will continue to stand behind him firmly and tall to defend the Benue people.