APPOINTMENTS: TIV LEADERS ACCUSE BUHARI OF MARGINALISATION

Again, the Tiv peo­ple of Benue State have cried out over what they described as a systematic marginal­isation against them by the President Muham­madu Buhari led ad­ministration, especially in the distribution of ap­pointments.

In an interaction with newsmen on Thursday in Makurdi, the Nation­al President, Nation­al Council of Tiv Youth (NCTY), Chief John Ak­pereshi expressed dismay over the continued non-inclusion of the Tiv peo­ple in the present admin­istration even as the Tivs he informed contributed immensely in enthron­ing it through their votes which he said were in vol­umes.

Akpereshi noted that from the first through the second and even the current Republic, the Tiv people who are the fought largest ethnic group, ac­cording to the last census figures have always fea­tured prominently in gov­ernance and wondered why the present govern­ment is finding no single Tiv son worthy of a ma­jor role.

“This is the first time that the Tiv nation will not have a Minister, an Adviser or any other ap­pointment of note even as they contributed in no small measure in en­throning the present ad­ministration into office. It is very disheartening to note that we are not being patronised by this government and I must humbly submit here that so far, we have never had it this bad in the political history of this country,” he said.

Akpereshi who holds the prestigious tradi­tional title of “Ikpam­kor I Kwande” from the Kwande Area Tradition­al Council particularly faulted the most recent appointments that were announced by the Feder­al Government especial­ly as it concerned Tiv in­terest.

He expressed concern that Dr Paul Angya, a Tiv who had acted diligently as the DG at the Stand­ards Organisation of Ni­geria (SON), and being the most senior adminis­trative staff was not con­firmed, pointing out that, such actions were fast making the present gov­ernment at the Federal level unpopular among the Tiv people.

Akpereshi urged Pres­ident Buhari to accord the Tiv Nation its right­ful place in the scheme of affairs owing to their con­tributions to the country over the years.

“Our son, Dr Paul An­gya acted very well in that capacity and we all felt it was an opportunity for the President to take yet another step towards as­suaging the already frail nerves among our peo­ple but to our outmost surprise, Dr Angya’s ap­pointment was not con­firmed as the substantive DG which has left eve­ry concerned Tiv person worried and hence the need for us to once again draw the attention of the federal government to this unhealthy develop­ment,” Akpereshi said.