Hir Joseph
6 October 2008
Makurdi — Senator George Akume (Benue North-East) has advised petition writers in the state to keep off his successor, Governor Gabriel Tor-Suswam, saying the attitude has the ability to destroy Tiv land as a whole. Akume's warning was premised on widespread feelings that he was behind the 35-page open letter written by a former state lawmaker,
Mr. Clement Nanev Uhondo in which allegations of high level corruption were levelled against Suswam. Uhondo, a Tiv from Guma, copied anti corruption agencies including EFCC and ICPC as well as the state House of Assembly and other relevant bodies, and went to court to swear an affidavit on the document.
Suswam has since reacted to the document, calling it a tissue of lies and mischievous attempt to arm-twist the government into succumbing to cheap blackmail since Uhondo failed to support his allegations with verifiable and documented evidence.
Akume who spoke to newsmen in Makurdi on Friday reiterated his appeal to Tivs to kill their penchant for raising petitions against one another, as he averred that the attitude had caused the people more harm than good. He said as a victim of petition writing from his fellow Tivs, he could authoritatively say that the writers' motive was not to address ills but to pull down their kinsmen. He said petitions like the one by Uhondo which he said, could not be substantiated, had become common place among Tivs, and warned against the act. Akume who recalled that late political sage, J.S. Tarka, first and second civilian governors - Late Aper Aku and Moses Adasu were all victims of petition writing by their kinsmen, urged Suswam to disregard Uhondo's document, describing it as a ploy distract the governor from focus.
"The call-duty rooms should be refurbished and made habitable and safe for doctors on duty. He said that adequate compensation and medicare should be provided to victims of the last robbery attack in the institution. NAN reports that there have been series of attacks on medical personnel on duty in the past three months. (NAN)
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