THE ATTACKS ON SENATOR ORKER JEV ARE VERY UNNECESSARY!

 

The whole hurl of attacks was commenced by a clique of my own kismen, the Ihyarev youths, over the careless statement of Desmond Ikyume (Senator Jev Media Aide) which derogatorily described the Iharev people as “stupid.” That’s a hasty generalisation that condemned many good Ihyarev people like us. That unguarded utterances was predicated on the ground that some lives were lost and property destroyed in the land crisis in Tyo-Mu village between the predominantly Ihyarev locals and their Tiv brethren, Kparev.

 

That feud in itself is both callous and condemnable. The state Governor visited the same area two months ago to preach peace and called for the arrest of those involved in the ugly fall out. Tyo-Mu communal squabbles is a replica of the many communal crisis in almost every local government in Tiv land. Singling out Orker Jev’s name on this particular crisis is not proper. The state government is still making great effort to contain the ugly incidence. Tyo-Mu also falls within the constituency of the Benue Assembly member for Makurdi South and the House of Representatives member for Makurdi/Guma. The highest they can do is to sue for truce and to call for the intervention of the executive in arresting the carnage. This they have done. We cannot afford to brew bickering and balkanised ourselves, especially at this precarious moment of common deadly challenge. We can only be #Stronger Together!

 

There is no doubt that Distinguished Senator Jev is one of the finest and most experienced Lawmakers in Nigeria. He has lived up to the expectations of the real duty of a Legislator and has continued to represent his constituency effectively in the Legislative business of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. His decision to punish his Aide for an improper conduct is the most proper thing under the circumstance. The Hyarev people insulted, constitues almost half of Senator Jev’s constituents and contributed more than half of his total votes scored in the election that made him a Senator.

 

Desmond Ikyume, the suspended Media Aide, is my personal friend and more of a brother. He is a good soul, bright mind and a devout Jev loyalist. I’m confident that at the fullness of time, the suspension might be reversed after Ikyume must have been pernitent enough to understand his frailties. It is utterly difficult to divorce his personal statement with that of his boss in the course of condemning a group of kinsmen in his boss’ senatorial zone. Femi Adesina ‘personal’ opinion in talking about the armed herdsmen attack in Benue would always be considered as President Buhari’s position, the same way Terver Akase’s view about the communal clashes in Katsina Ala and Ukum would be read as Governor Ortom’s mind.

 

Senator Jev does not hate the Ihyarev nation and has never disrespected them. My friend, Ikyume, does not hate us either. His wrong can rightly be described as an emotional outburst made in a state of fury (over the obvious killing of someone close to him in that crisis). That was quite unfortunate. We deserve an apology for that outburst anyway, because the rage of some few miscreants in Tyo-Mu is not adequate enough to paint the rest of us as stupid. The attacks by some Ihyarev people on Orker Jev over his Aide’s misfiring, is not right. The attacks on Jev by some selected people over his sole prerogative to sanction an erring Aide, is also a huge goof. In all of these, the good Senator has not blinked his eyes on his most cardinal role as an effective representative.

 

Conclusively, many writers have been tying Senator Jev’s action or inaction with an imaginary rope of his alledged desire to continue in the Senate in 2023. Senator Jev has never told anyone he breeds an ambition for 2023. He is always thankful for the rare privilege to serve a good federal constituency and a great senatorial district for a cumulative 16 years (by God’s grace in 2023). His victory in 2019 has hugely redefined the politics of our zone and the entire state, and his imprimatur will be evergreen, and I’m confident he’ll take a bow when the ovation is loudest. He has paid his dues and the future will always be fair to him.

 

“Amicus Plato, amicus Socrates, sed magis amica veritas.”

 

#May We Continue To Stay Safe & Be Safe!

 

•Franc Utoo, Esq.

OHIO (Or Hyarev Inside Out)

Yelewata, Guma.

Benue North-West Constituency.

 

©3.5.2020