APC Chairmanship: Group Canvasses Support for Akume

By Jameelah Sanda

The nationalist progressive group is canvassing for Senator George Akume, representing the Benue North/West Senatorial District, to lead the All Progressives Congress (APC) as National Chairman.

The Executive Secretary of the Group, Etim Bassey, in a chat with THISDAY, said Akume, who started his career as a civil servant to become the first Governor of Benue State to have completed two terms in office is the right candidate to lead the APC to its desired position of power.

Describing Akume as a child of destiny, Bassey said the Senator had been tested and trusted both at the grassroots and etate levels to deliver the mandate of APC.

“We believe if he hits the ground running, he is a leader that is close to the people, not a leader that waves from afar. We need a leader that will listen to the yearnings of the common man because he knows where the shoe pinches. He is not an ordinary person, he started from the lowest cadre and rose up to Permanent Secretary in the State service, fulfilling his career in the civil service. He also became Local Government Chairman two consecutive times. He is a child of destiny and nobody even expected him to be the governorship candidate, but his destiny beckoned to him,” he added.

According to Bassey, Senator Akume’s charisma has made him distinct from all leaders, saying that he is qualified and unique to run as the National Chairman of APC.

“If you sample 20 candidates, you will be lucky to get only 3 people that are unique. He is unique, he has been tested and trusted. In fact we need leaders that are accessible and not leaders that we will have to go through middlemen to get to. Akume is closer to people and he knows where the shoe pinches. We know that there are many people qualified, but we want a leader with listening ears,” he said.

He said Akume was a leader that would bring people together without favouritism and nepotism, pointing out that he has paid his dues with the capacity to galvanise APC while also carrying the commoners along with the party’s mandate.

“People come from all corners of the country to ask him for solutions. They see him as a problem solver as they believe in him and consult him for the way forward. He is someone that believes that the sky is wide for everyone to take advantage of and this is one of the qualities that attracted our group to him,” he said.

“Governance is about humanity, not about riches, not about the roads you have constructed and not about how many houses you have built, but about building the people to enjoy the infrastructure, building bridges for people to connect and understand the need of good governance and this is why we are canvassing for him to be the National Chairman of APC and we believe he can do more now that Nigeria is divided as people are calling for secession. He came from a State that is so divided politically, but he has been playing a middleman role by being a bridge builder,” he added.

Commenting on his profile, he noted that Akume who was born on December 27, 1953, was a successful career civil servant, an accomplished administrator, honest politician and a member of the Great Tender Hall of Fame, University of Ibadan.

He added that Akume obtained a Masters Degree in Industrial and Labour Relations (MILR) from the same Department and University in 1986 and was at the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) where he obtained a Certificate in Management (1988).

“Senator George Akume commenced his working career as a Land Officer with the Benue State Civil Service after his successful completion of the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme, 1978 – 1979 service year, during which he taught at the Advanced Teachers College, Jos (now College of Education) Akwanga, Nassarawa State.
The amiable Senator, representing Benue North West Senatorial District had steady progression in his career as a seasoned Administrator,” he added.

Bassey said: “He held several positions at various times; Assistant Secretary, Research and Policy Analysis (REPA) in the Governor’s office, Principal Secretary, under Secretary and Director of Personnel Management in 1994, he also handled several special assignments including Secretary/Chairman, white paper drafting committee, Secretary, Gboko Local Government Council, one of the most difficult Local Councils in Benue State, (1988-1989), Sole Administrator of Idah Local Government Council (now in Kogi State) (1989-1990). George was also the Sole Administrator of Gboko Local Government Council (1991). He was also Director of Protocol, Government House, Makurdi, Benue State (1992).”

He said between 1994–1995, Akume was on secondment at the Federal Ministry of Education, Lagos as Deputy Director and later became the Director-General (1996) and then Permanent Secretary (Establishments and Management Services), a position he held until 1998, when he voluntarily retired from Public Service to participate fully in partisan politics.

On entry into politics, he said Senator Akume registered as a member of the defunct Congress for National Consensus (CNC), one of the five registered political parties during the Sani Abacha’s transition to civilian rule programme, as he sought the governorship ticket on that party’s platform.

He recalled that at the inception of General Abdulsalami Abubakar’s regime, after the sudden demise of General Abacha on June 8, 1998, the new helmsman dismantled all political structures set up by the Late General and ordered the formation of new political parties.

According to him, the new dispensation afforded Senator Akume the opportunity to further realize his ambition in partisan politics as he actively participated in the formation of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and contested governorship election on the party’s platform. Akume won th3 election, making him the fourth Executive Governor of Benue State and was re-elected for a second term in 2003.

Speaking further, he said in 2007, Akume was elected into the National Assembly as a Senator representing Benue North West Senatorial District under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). In 2011, Senator Akume moved to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) to join hands with other progressive minds to change the socio-political and economic face of the nation; and was re-elected as Senator. He was subsequently elected Senate Minority Leader by the minority Caucus of the Senate. In 2015, Senator Akume was for the third term, elected as Senator representing Benue North West Senatorial District and was subsequently appointed Senate Committee Chairman on Army. He served as the Vice Chairman North of the APC Presidential Campaign Council and is presently serving the Buhari administration as Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs.