A concerned son of Benue State, Mike Yawe, Executive Director of WABMA, has issued a public appeal to Senator Dr George Akume and Governor Dr Hyacinth Iormem Alia to end their ongoing political differences and work together for the progress of the state.
In an open letter titled “It Is Time to End the Rift, Your Excellencies,” Yawe stated that there is a season to fight and a season to make peace, and that the time has come for both leaders to embrace reconciliation for the greater good of Benue.
He shared a personal story from 1998 when he was Area Manager of Cowbell in Kano. As the 1999 gubernatorial election approached, then aspirant George Akume arrived in Kano with a ₦5 million cheque issued by Chief Barnabas Gemade. The Bank of the North headquarters had limited cash available, so Mr Pius Gaai, then Deputy General Manager, invited young Tiv professionals and businessmen, including Yawe, to write cheques from their accounts to help facilitate the transaction. The bank subsequently released part of the funds in cash under police escort and the balance in drafts for collection in Makurdi.
Yawe said he was not recounting the story to claim credit for anyone’s political journey, but to underscore a simple truth: no one rises entirely alone, and people who may appear insignificant can become unexpected stepping stones in another person’s path.
He expressed deep concern that the continuing disagreement between the two leaders has consequences beyond their personal relationship. It affects the political atmosphere of the state, creates divisions among supporters, and threatens to deny Benue the full benefits of its representation at the federal level. When appointments and political considerations become entangled in rivalry, he argued, ordinary citizens ultimately lose.
Yawe noted that young people need jobs, communities need roads, schools and hospitals, farmers need protection and access to markets, and the state needs federal attention, strategic investments and a united voice in national affairs.
He suggested that both leaders consider a fair and mutually acceptable arrangement for sharing political responsibilities and opportunities, including federal representation where constitutionally and politically feasible, negotiated in a spirit of equity while recognising that appointments must ultimately serve the interests of Benue and Nigeria.
Political power is temporary, he reminded them, but the consequences of leadership decisions can remain with a people for generations. He called on both men to pick up the phone, sit at the table, listen to each other and find common ground so that their supporters can see that peace is possible.
“Benue needs both of you—not as rivals fighting for supremacy but as leaders capable of working together for the good of our people,” Yawe wrote, ending with the appeal: “Benue First. Peace First. Our People First.”
