The Tiv Youth Patriotic Front, TYPF, has called on the condemns in strong terms the comments of the Chief of Staff to the Governor of Benue State, Rt. Hon Paul Biam, in a viral video, which makes a mockery of the peace efforts of the Tiv Traditional Council,TTC.
President of TYPF, Yoosu Sooter Daniel, stated this in a statement made available to newsmen in Makurdi on Tuesday.
The group made up of Benue youths recalled that, the TTC under the leadership of the Tor Tiv, Prof James Ayatse, had on April 1st,2024, held a meeting with the Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.
They observed that the aim of the meeting was to broker peace between the governor and the SGF, for the development of Benue State.
According to them, “We all saw the SGF and the Governor embraced each other, and showed signs of commitment to work together for the development of Benue State.
“Benue people were happy for the peace initiatives and commended the TTC for its intervention in the cold war between the governor and the SGF and their supporters.
“This peace meeting was followed up with another between the TTC and members of the National Assembly of Tiv extraction, few days later.
“Benue people have observed a peaceful relationship between the governor and the SGF as well as members of the National Assembly from Benue State.
“We also observed that the Akume’s camp has respected the peace deal and even restrained from making utterances against the Governor of Benue State, Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia.
“However, we are disturbed by the comments of Hon. Biam in a viral video which has been circulating online.
“In the viral video, we saw the Chief of Staff to the Governor while addressing mourners at a burial in Vandeikya categorically say that, the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State has two factions.
“According Hon. Biam, the Alia faction was the real or original APC and those who belonged to the Governor’s faction will have food to eat, while those APC members who don’t belong to the Governor’s faction will be treated as enemies, and even members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, are regarded ahead of them.
“We see the action of Hon. Biam as an an affront and mockery on the peace efforts of the TTC.
“We equally see the actions of Mr Biam as a mockery of the efforts of the TTC, to bring peace between the governor and his party, the APC.
“As youths of the Tiv Nation, we have observed that Mr Biam has categorically told the world that there can’t be peace between the governor, the SGF and the APC.”
The youths who stated that no society can develop in the absence of peace said “We call on the Tiv Nation to take note of crisis-preneurs like Mr Biam who have continued to heat the polity against the decision of the Tiv traditional rulers.
“The TTC and the good people of Benue State should hold Mr Biam responsible for the deliberate attempt to ensure the peace brokered by the TTC between the governor and the SGF fails, and hostilities resume,” the statement said.
