Traditional rulers condemn minister’s attack on Tor Tiv

The Konshisha Area Traditional Council has described the attack on Tor Tiv by a Minister of Special Duties, George Akume as unwarranted, sacrilegious and unacceptable.

Chairman of Second Class Traditional Rulers in Tiv land and Ter Ikyor, Chief Thomas Jam Gbinde, who led the royal fathers in condemnation of the minister’s conduct, said such outing was alien to the Tiv culture.

Akume, who had at his first outing in Benue State since his appointment, was quoted to have referred to Tor Tiv, as “Tor Party,” among other untoward names.

Gbinde, who spoke at Agbeede during this year’s Mbator Day celebrations, noted that casting aspersions on the Tor Tiv in the public amounted to insulting the entire Tiv nation, saying such an act would only portray the Tiv people in bad light before other nationalities.

“As illustrious sons of the Tiv nation, it is only proper for anyone who has grudges with our paramount ruler to go and discuss with him in private. You cannot go to the pages of newspapers to insult him because it portrays us as people without respect for the traditional institution,” Ter Ikyor stated.

Also speaking, Tyoor Mbatsen, Chief Daniel Nder Kuhwa, commended the Tiv Youth Organisation for condemning the minister’s comments and demanding a public apology from the Tor Tiv.

Chief Kuhwa said it was an abomination for a son of Tiv land to go to the market square to call the royal father unprintable names, urging other prominent sons of Tiv extraction to condemn such conduct.

The Konshisha Area Traditional Council, therefore, cautioned against a repeat of what they termed shameful utterances from a man expected to set good examples for the younger generation.

The royal fathers threw their weight behind Governor Samuel Ortom on his efforts in providing security in all parts of Benue State, particularly the Governor’s recent appeal to President Muhammadu Buhari not to withdraw Operation Whirl Stroke from the state.

Others who spoke at the event are, the Caretaker Deputy Chairman of Konshisha Council Area, Emmanuel Ortese and Chairman of the event, Peter Iorgema of College of Education, Oju, who also commended Governor Ortom for his administration’s effort in various sectors of the economy.

The high point of the event was the honour conferred on Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Terver Akase as a worthy son of Mbator and Konshisha.

Gbinde and the other traditional rulers also acknowledged the importance of education and urged their subjects to pursue education, stressing that it was the reason Akase was being celebrated.

Responding, Akase thanked the Mbator Community for the honour and dedicated it to Governor Ortom, who he said, would continue to deliver on his promises to Benue people.