Vice President Shettima says the Tinubu administration will sustain the relationship between Benue Governor Alia and SGF Akume for unity and stability

Vice President Kashim Shettima on Sunday in Makurdi said the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu would sustain and protect the working relationship between Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume.

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Mr Shettima made the statement at the wedding reception of Senator Akume’s son in the Benue State capital, where he described reconciliation between the two leaders as a moral and national responsibility.

The Vice President said the North had a collective obligation to prevent divisions that could undermine governance and social stability in the region.

“We have that moral obligation to step in and heal the wounds. What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us,” Shettima said.

He warned that any breakdown in the relationship would have consequences beyond personal or political interests.

“If this relationship goes asunder, it is the people of Benue that will suffer. It is the people of the North Central that will suffer. It is the people of Nigeria that will suffer,” he said.

Shettima praised Senator Akume as one of Nigeria’s most experienced public servants and commended Governor Alia for what he described as a transformative leadership agenda in Benue State.

“Your Excellency, we are mighty proud of you. We are grateful to you for your leadership. We adore you for your transformative agenda,” he told the governor.

In his remarks, Senator Akume paid tribute to President Tinubu for what he called purposeful and effective leadership since assuming office in May 2023.

“The leadership of the country is doing very well because I am in a position to know the functioning of government and the mechanics of government,” Akume said.

Governor Alia also commended President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima for their efforts to reposition the country and congratulated the newly married couple, pledging his continued support and guidance.

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Dignitaries at the event included the Minister of Water Resources and Sanitation, Professor Joseph Utsev, the Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, Zaphaniah Jisalo, and the Minister of Livestock Development, Idi Mukhtar Maiha.