A youth group in Benue State, Jemgbagh Youth Alliance, JYA, has berated the Chairman of Senate Committee on Army, Senator George Akume, for allegedly being responsible for the unresponsiveness of the Committee in the bloody clashes between herdsmen and farmers in the state.
President of the group, Comrade Ternenge Bendega in a statement to DAILY POST on Friday, said Akume was exposed by the Vice Chairman of the committee, Senator Abdullahi Danbaba, on the floor of the House.
According to the youths, Danbaba blamed the committee’s non-performance on poor leadership of Senator Akume who is its chairman.
The group said that by the indictment, the Senator no longer deserves to occupy his current position.
According to them, “We watched with utmost shame and disappointment, the presentation of the Vice Chairman, Senate Committee on Army, Senator Abdullahi Danbaba who rightly blamed the committee’s non-performance on poor leadership by Senator George Akume who is chairman of the committee.
“This is the highest embarrassment Benue has ever suffered in the hands of any of its representatives at the National Assembly.
“For a man who governed the state for eight years and has spent 12 years in the red chamber of the National Assembly, the indictment of Senator Akume by his vice in the Senate Committee on Army confirms what most Benue people know – that the Senator no longer deserves to occupy his current position.
“Akume has, by that singular pronouncement by Senator Danbaba on the floor of the Senate, entered the record books as the worst performing senator in the annals of the country. Never has it been heard that members of a legislative committee publicly blamed their leader for zero performance.
“To worsen matters, Senator Akume was absent during the Senate sitting where serious matters such as the Army and other security issues were being discussed. In fact, he is often caught sleeping deeply during Senate plenary sessions.
“This is a clear indication that Senator George Akume has interests far away from legislative duties for which he is paid. He, therefore, has no business continuing as a senator.
“Senator Akume’s widely known love for liquor and habitual drunkenness is another cause of worry to us his constituents. A man who begins to drink as early as 6 am is not fit to represent people at the highest law-making chamber of the country.
“Here is a senator who has not moved a single motion or sponsored just one bill in the Senate in 12 years.
“His ‘stewardship’ in the red chamber is all about local politics of insisting that he must install a governor for Benue when his colleagues are busy taking big decisions on the national stage.
“We, as Benue North-West voters will reject Akume at the polls in 2019. A man with such despicable character will no longer be our Senator.”