Benue: Have gods come in likeness of men? By Iorliam Shija

Ancient Greeks had a lot of gods and goddesses ; there were , for example, gods like Zeus, Athena , Hera , Demeter, Hermes , Cronus and Hypnos .These gods had temples, worshipers and priests in every City State in Ancient Greece . But the people hardly saw them in human form.

They only experienced their influence on the activities of men . Once in a little Greek town , the people felt the gods came down themselves to cause a change. Maybe, that’s also what many people in Benue State are thinking or feeling now. They feel the gods want to play a role in their political order .

Students of the Bible Book of Acts of Apostles will remember clearly the missionary journeys of Saint Paul , the new convert, who was tasked by a prophetic revelation and thereafter toured the world , especially to the Gentiles and or to the Jews living in all parts of the then known world, preaching the Good News of God and also healing the sick . They will also remember that one of the journeys took Paul and his associate, Barnabas to the city of Lystra.

In Lystra, the Bible says , lived a man who had been lame from birth and had never been able to walk .This lame man was one of those who sat listening to the new messages that the dou were “babbling”, according to the philosophers of the day. Paul saw that the lame man had faith so he shouted to him , “stand up and walk”. Immediately, in the presence of all , he began to walk . When the MASSES saw this miracle which Paul had done , they said , ” The gods have come to us in the likeness of men “, they concluded that Paul was the god Zeus and Barnabas was named the god, Hermes . They brought animals and began to offer sacrifices to them .

The political events in Benue State since May 29 th 2023 have been intriguing, strange and I think unpredictable. At the back of it all seems to have been the tusstle between political STAKEHOLDERS and the governor of Benue State, Rev Father Dr Hyacint Iormem Alia, over the rights of entrenchment of government structures and who controls party machinery as 2027 approaches . It appears, political stakeholders, especially of the governor’s party , APC want to be part of the game significantly, but on the other hand , the governor appears not to welcome such interference into the work he wishes to do.

This position taken by the governor is strange in Benue political history because since 1951 , stakeholders have always played major roles in the selection of team members and representatives . In 1951, for example , the First Tor Tiv, HRM Orchivirigh Markir Dzakpe and members of Tiv Progressive Unions, TPU gathered in Makurdi to select for the first time members who would represent the Benue Province in The Northern Nigeria House of Assembly in Kaduna . The Tiv had no political party structures then.

After much deliberations in Makurdi, the following people were chosen as the first Tiv elected representatives in Tiv History: Hon . E.G Gundu, he was a staff of the Tiv Native Authority, Hon. Ayila Yough , also from the Native Authority, Chief Makondo Igbon was a Second World War Veteran, Hon. Chia Aka was a teacher at the Kastsina Ala Middle School, Hon. Wuam Gambe , from the Native Authority service, Pagher Mue , an elementary school teacher , Hon. Yough Agera, was the treasurer of Tiv Native Authority and chosen was also Hon Akiga Sai, a publisher , author and editor of a Tiv Newspaper, Mwanger u Tiv.

The Second Set of Tiv people to be elected now to the Federal House of Reps in Lagos took place in 1954. The election of 1954 is important in Tiv History because, amongst those elected, there emerged the first REAL POLITICAL STAKEHOLDER of Benue Politics. This class had JS Tarka , Tor Gondo Aluor , Patrick Kuu and HO Abaagu . Through vision and tact, although relatively younger than the rest, JS Tarka outsmarted both the class of 1951 and 1954 to emerge as the fixer of Benue Politics !

From 1954 to 1979, our Politics was largely based on the vision and dictates of Chief Tarka and his associates. In 1969, Tarka had his first major opposition and threat to his overbearing influence. This came from the political upstart , Wantaregh Paul Iyorpuu Unongo who had just left UniLag as a lecturer and joined politics. Chief Unongo simply attempted to intellectualize Tiv and Benue Politics. He reviewed the Tarka years and gave a vote of no confidence on them , he then threw a question; where do we go from here ?

When JS Tarka died in 1980, our political stakeholders were the Tarka associates led by Aper Aku, former governor on one hand and the intellectuals led by Unongo on the other hand . With the passage of time and military takeovers , political activities died down ! But the vestiges of political Stakeholdership were there waiting for another manifestation!

In 1999, our political stakeholders were those like Unongo , the old Politicians of The First , Second and Third Republics who were lucky to be alive and relevant. They also had challengers in those who the successive military regimes had empowered like Chief Barnabas Gemade and Dr Iyorchia Ayu or some few retired military officers . These were the people who started fixing political positions for us ! 1999 also created George Akume, eventually.

In 2007, Distinguished Sen. George Akume, who is today the SGF, made history as the first person in Benue State to complete his two terms as governor . Aper Aku , 1979 to 1983 and Rev Fr Moses Adasu 1992 to 1993 , both who were governors before him had their terms cut short ! Akume took his first oath on 29th May , 1999 and his second oath 29th May, 2003.

Automatically, Akume became the biggest STAKEHOLDER that emerged in Benue State the Fourth Republic. To strengthen his stakeholdership he did two things ; first, he installed his successor and secondly, he retired back to the senate where he hoped to become the Senate president of Nigeria and godfather of Benue Politics. He could not be Senate President, but he became the godfather of Benue Politics.

Before he installed the present governor in 2023 and became the SGF, it is on his CV that he was in the senate from 2007 to 2019 . He was a minister from 2019 to 2023 and of course in 2015, it was he who installed Chief Samuel Ortom as governor of the state .

Like Paul in an Ancient Greek City State , Rev Fr Hyacinth Iormen Alia, the governor of Benue State , also entered Benue Politics with the fame of a Catholic priest who could heal people from their sicknesses. Is the healing of human sicknesses by the priest , being extended to Benue State Politics now ? This is what I often read in the voice of his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kulas. He is wont to telling the protesting stakeholders that their suggestions are not Ten Commandments that must be obeyed . He also maked it clearly known to the stakeholders, some who helped in the election of his principal and might still come handy when he is contesting his second term that , Benue money is no longer Atuur or Okra for them to share on the table .

In 2009/2010 , Gabriel Suswam who took over from Akume as governor challenged him and even sent him out of PDP and in 2018 and 2019 , Samuel Ortom had issues with Akume and he also lost his senatorial election as a result, but I think what the governor has done to Akume and his men is the most daring thing that any man has ever done to Akume’s political structure since he emerged as the defacto stakeholder of Benue Politics.

Have the gods themselves also come down in Benue to dymisfy human beings, political schemes and cause a new order or there is just a misjudgement somewhere ? It is too close for me to to call at the moment! What do you think?