Members of the North-Central All Progressives Congress Forum have appealed to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume to ensure the accommodation of the entire North-central zone in appointments made by his office.
In a statement, the group’s chairman, Alhaji Saleh Zazzaga, urged the SGF to stand as the leader of the party in the North-Central zone by ensuring that the people of the zone feel the impact of his exalted office.
The APC Forum threatened to mobilize against the SGF and demand his removal from office, should he fail to take urgent steps to correct the imbalance in the appointments so far made.
The group, while urging the SGF to address perceived lapses in his approach to leadership, claimed that the development has negatively impacted the fortunes of the APC in the North-Central.
It noted that the position of SGF was zoned to the North-Central in line with the party’s zoning arrangement after the election of President Bola Tinubu in 2023.
The group claimed that Akume has been appointing mostly his Tiv brothers from Benue State since he assumed the position of SGF.
It was alleged that Akume’s conduct was contrary to what was expected by APC leaders when the position of the SGF was given to the North-Central, as he had not carried the zone along.
The statement reads in part, “The North-Central All Progressives Congress Forum notes with concern, the failure of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, to carry the entire North-Central zone along since his appointment as SGF by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.
“This is unacceptable and we, the North-Central APC Forum, condemn this attitude and ask the SGF to correct the imbalance in appointments or face protests by the people of the North-Central.
“It is on the record that the position of SGF was given to the North-Central in line with the zoning arrangement within the APC and as such, the current occupant of the office, Senator George Akume, is the one representing the North-Central in the top echelon of the Federal Government.
“However, and unfortunately, Senator Akume is only appointing people of the Tiv extraction of Benue State to positions within the office of the SGF.
“We, the North-Central APC Forum, are calling the SGF’s attention to these lopsided appointments, and we are also asking him to balance the appointments and carry the entire people of the North-Central along.
“We are also calling on Senator Akume to take his duties seriously and concentrate on the responsibilities of the office of the SGF, instead of engaging in endless fights with the Governor of Benue State, Reverend Hyacinth Alia, which is taking much of his attention.
“We are equally urging Senator Akume to immediately make necessary appointments to fill up vacant positions in the Office of the SGF.
“We are aware that there are vacant SA positions in the Office of the SGF that have yet to be filled.
“We are issuing a timely reminder to Senator Akume to use those outstanding positions to balance the appointments in the Office of the SGF.
“This will not only correct the imbalance in the spread of appointments in the establishment but also boost the efficiency of the office of the SGF by bringing in competent individuals from diverse backgrounds to man key vacant positions within the OSGF.”
