By Pwanagba Agabus, Jos
Benue Rebirth Movement (BRM) elders have barred ldoma sons and daughters from accepting to serve as running mates to Tiv governorship aspirants in all the political parties in 2023, saying anyone who venture into such will be excommunicated.
The elders also revealed that since Benue state was created in 1976 almost half a century ago, the Idoma people of Benue South Senatorial Zone have not been given the opportunity to produce the Governor of the state nor the speaker of the state House of Assembly, Head of Judiciary, Vice Chancellor Benue State University or Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture Makurdi.
Elder Statesman General Geoffrey Ejiga retired disclosed flanked by others, while briefing journalists in Jos, the Plateau State Capital.
“Indeed Idoma people cannot head any key positions in the state”, he decried.
Ejiga recalled with nostalgia that they had the agreement of the zoning of political offices in Benue in 1998 that was agreed on by the current political leaders in Benue State, adding that it was agreed that the governorship position will rotate among the three senatorial zones in Benue and as a result of that the Tiv people of zone A and B have produced ex-governor Akume and governor Gabriel Suswan.
He lamented that after Suswan, the governorship should have gone to the Idoma people of Benue south, but regrettably, the ticket went to governor Ortom.
According to him, now that Ortom is about to complete his tenure in 2023, they have again zoned the governorship to zone A. ” thus zone A would have produced four elected governors in the person of Aper Aku, Rv father Adasu and Gabriel Suswan and the incoming one of 2023, Zone B would have produced two governors in the person of Akume and Ortom while Zone C has produced none.
He further stated that going by the “sayings and dispositions” of Tiv Political leaders, Benue South will never produce any Governor in years to come.
Ejiga maintained that for peace to reign in Benue state, ldoma people should be given the opportunity to produce the next governor of Benue state to give them a
sense of belonging.
”Benue in my opinion needs to try an ldoma governor to see if it will improve the fortunes of the State as the Tiv governors from 1999 Till date have not improved developmental fortunes of the state.
He lamented that Benue with all it’s potentials, today, is the least developed state in Nigeria.
”The unjust deprivation of the ldoma people from leadership is bound to create insecurity in the state as very soon the ldoma youths will revolt creating a massive problem for the Tiv governors and the federal government will be called to help” General Ejiga warned.
