News Editor
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Demands Apologies from Gov Sule’s Aide
By David Odama
LAFIA —TIV Community of Nasarawa State Friday demanded an unreserved apology from the Senior Special Assistant, SSA to Gov Abdullahi Sule, Comrade Peter Ahemba over comments that tends to promote religious bigotry.
The community also asked their illustrious son to apologize particularly to the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN for dragging the church and their clergies to the politics of the state.
Addressing journalists in Lafia, Nasarawa State Capital on behalf of the community, the leader of the group who is a former president of the Tiv Development Association, TIDA, Mr Boniface Iffer, said they were worried about the sudden out burst of the governor’s Aide on the political situation in Nasarawa state.
“As a community, we are deeply worried at the current trend of events involving the unguarded utterances of one of us and the immediate past president of the Tiv Development Association, TIDA, Mr Peter Ahemba who was deposed for controversial handling of affairs of TIDA and is now a Special Assistant to Gov Sule”.
According to the group, Ahemba has rather than bridging the gap between the government and the community chooses to dragging the Tiv community including the church into unneccessary partisan politics, which has become a major issue since March, 2023.
“Our concern is in his decision to tow a dangerous lane, including dragging the Church and the clergies into politics on an issue that is already in court between the parties. This is in difference to numerous calls for restraint and caution by our leaders and well-meaning individuals, including the State Security Service”.
“Ordinarily, we would have preferred to maintain a dignified silence, but for the avoidance of doubt, Ahemba should not be seen as a representative of the Tiv people by dragging noble personalities into unnecessary disparaging for a pot of porridge just to earn a livelihood.
“It is the same Ahemba as president of TIDA was all over the news accusing Gov. Sule’s administration for turning a blank eye while 56 Tiv locals were killed among several others in various LGAs across the state. He used the killing of Tiv people in Obi, Awe, Doma, and a host of other communities in Nasarawa State to campaign for the position he is currently occupying today.
“We have made several consultations with critical stakeholders and we resolved that the least we demand from him is a written apology and, a quick retraction of the insults and blackmails against his kin men in the state.
In a swift reaction, the Senior Special Assistant to governor Abdullahi Sule on Public Affairs, Peter Ahemba declined responding to the accusation against him by his kinsmen.
The SSA claimed that the purported news conference that was addressed accusing him of encouraging ethno – religious crisis dragging clergies to the politics of the state was base less, unfounded and calculated attempt to smear his person in the name of TIDA.
“These people are strangers. They are not from Nasarawa state so why should I attach importance to issues raised by people I do not know”, The SSA questioned.
“They claimed that I was on National television, yes I was there not as a Tiv man neither was I there on behalf of TIDA. I poke as an appointee of the government.They should count me out of business of serving their pay master”, Ahemba declared.
