Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary (CPS), to the Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia, has advised the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, to distance himself from those seeking to engage in a brawl with governor Alia......See Full Story>>.....See Full Story>>
The CPS gave the charge while speaking to newsmen in Makurdi, in reaction to the claim by Philip Agbese member representing Ado/Opkokwu/Ogbadibo federal constituency that Governor Alia has rebuffed efforts made by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to resolve the misunderstanding within the ranks of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.
Kula pointed out that although the SGF had said at various times that he had no bone to pick with Governor Alia, Agbese and others have continued to speak on behalf of the SGF, who has failed to rebuke them for their utterances against his principal.
The CPS who was flanked at the occasion by other media aides of the governor, therefore called on Senator George Akume, to call Agbese and others like him who has consistently spoken for him and his wife, Regina Akume, member representing Gboko/Tarka federal constituency.
He argued that if Agbese has claimed to speak for members of the National Assembly (NASS) caucus and Federal Appointees in the state, it invariably means they were speaking for the SGF and his wife, Regina.
According to him, “We are worried that the same Agbese went out to accuse His Excellency, the Governor of Benue State, Rev Fr Hyacinth Iormem Alia, of shunning a peace meeting that was at the instance of the President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu
“It is most unfortunate because we don’t know where Agbese got that information; Agbese cannot say he speaks to the President more than the governor; he cannot say he have ears in the villa more than the governor and if a peace meeting was summoned on the instance of the President, we wonder why it must be Agbese that will know about it before the governor.
“The Governor has no idea whether such a meeting was summoned, unless the meeting was summoned in a dream. He woke up one day and accused the governor of a meeting that never existed and began to insult the governor and call his government a den if demons?
“What Agbese did can be described as abnormal. But if the behavior is normal then Agbese need to be called to order.
“Sadly, he said he speaks on behalf of members of the National Assembly (NASS) and Federal Appointees caucus. So two things are glaring here, if you say as the spokesperson of the NASS caucus, our own mother, Mrs Regina Akume, the wife to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), is a member.
“Secondly, when you say you are speaking for federal government appointees in the state, then the first person that comes to mind and from Benue is the SGF, himself (Senator George Akume). So whichever caucus you bring in, our father the SGF is involved.”
The CPS further noted that” Agbese is speaking for these people. We are surprised that up to this moment, our father, the SGF who has consistently said he has no issues with His Excellency is being represented in the realm of insults by those who claim they are speaking for him or working under him.
“There’s also one Terence Kuanum that always speaks in the media and says he is a spokesperson to the SGF. But our checks reveal that such an office does not exist in the office of the SGF. What we have in the office of the SGF is Director of Communications and that’s a job of a civil servant.
“But these people claim to be speaking for our father and he is quite? We don’t want to actually believe that he asked them to speak for him?
“That is exactly what Agbese is doing. He has enormous responsibility as a representative of the people and he better preoccupy himself by delivering on the mandate than searching for avenues to hit His Excellency, who has been silent all these while.
“Those that are fanning the ambers of discord to distract the governor from his duties should realise that the governor is more than focused to deliver on his mandate.
“And for our father the SGF, we want to draw his attention to the fact that his wife is a member of the NASS, who Agbese claims to be speaking for and he himself is the number one appointee of government that Agbese also claims to represent. So it’s unfortunate if he (SGF) has sent them on this errand it’s hi-time he comes out and tell us that he has an issue (with the governor) and that he wants that issue addressed.
“Otherwise, he should be focused on his duties as SGF, which are enormous; pursuing Rev Fr Alia will not do anybody, any good. He is not ready to fight anybody, but fight him at your peril”, Kula stressed.