Benue Church Demands Return of Cow Gifted to Former Governor’s Aide Hon. Terver Akase for Road Project

St. Lucy’s Catholic Church Ayihe has formally requested the return of a large cow it donated to Terver Akase, former press secretary to ex-Governor Samuel Ortom, for the purpose of facilitating support for the construction of the Vaati-Ayihe road.

According to an open appeal circulating on social media, the church had established a committee of which Akase was a member during the Ortom administration when the road was in a deplorable state. As a knight in the Catholic Church, the cow was presented to him to aid in soliciting assistance from the then governor. However, the church claims that to date, Akase has neither provided any update on the solicitation nor returned the cow.

With the Vaati-Ayihe road now successfully constructed and movement greatly improved under the current administration of Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia, the church says its focus has shifted to retrieving the cow. The letter expresses appreciation to Governor Alia for delivering the road project without demanding any such gift. The church intends to present the same cow to the current governor as a gesture of goodwill and has urged Akase to facilitate its prompt return to avoid potential protests from the Catholic community that could tarnish his reputation.

The appeal, credited to individuals including Kaior Williams Basil and posted by Ahoho Terungwa, has sparked reactions online, with many viewing the matter as both a serious accountability issue and a subject of local humour. As of now, there has been no public response from Terver Akase regarding the request.