The federal government has broken silence on the protracted political feud between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and his political godson, Governor Hyacinth Alia saying it cannot continue to allow the relationship between the duo fester as the 2027 general elections draws nearer.
Vice President Kashim Shetima, disclosed this while speaking at the wedding ceremony of the son of the SGF, Master Samuel Aondoakura Akume in Makurdi, the state’s capital.
Shetima made the people to understand that the eyes of the Tinubu’s administration were beamed on the state which he described as the pacesetter of the country, stressing that Benue was too important for the Tinubu’s administration to toil with.
The Vice President, who represented President Tinubu at the occasion, pointed out that if the relationship between Akume and Governor Hyacinth Alia is allowed to fester, Benue people and indeed the entire North Central would suffer more.
He vowed to personally intervene in the crisis to repair the broken relationship to ensure the return of enduring peace in the political landscape of the state.
Shetima said, “Benue is too important for us to toil with, what binds us together supercedes everything, if this relationship goes asunder, it is the people of Benue State that will suffer, it is the people of the North Central that will suffer.
“Senator Akume has paid his dues, he has been a public servant in the contemporary history of this country.
“Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje used to hold that mantle, now that mantle has been handed over to Distinguished Senator George Akume having served as Protocol, Permanent Secretary, Governor of Benue state for eight years, he was in the National Assembly for 12 years, he was the Minority Leader in the Senate, he was a Minister and is now the SGF, this is why I used to call him a cat with nine lives.
“He enthrones a governor, fell out with him and put another one, he puts in another one, dethrones him and puts in another one but we will not allow the relationship between him and the transformative governor (Hyacinth Alia), go asunder.
“I have that moral obligation as the leader of the party in the North to work on that relationship and repair the damage”, said the Vice President.
In his remark, Senator Akume acknowledged that he had in the past, planted three governors including Suswam, Ortom and now Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia and thanked God for the blessing upon his life describing his successors as wonderful people.
Akume said he has enjoined people of the state of sustain prayers for Governor Alia to succeed, and further implored the people to offer same prayers to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu whom he said is doing well to reposition the country and out it on the fast lane of development.
