Benue State Government has hit back at former Speaker Emmanuel Jime over his controversial comments about Governor Hyacinth Alia. Jime had described the governor as "this thing terrorising us" in recent remarks.
In a statement released Monday, Chief Press Secretary Tersoo Kula dismissed Jime's apology as hollow and misdirected. The government says it wasn't properly addressed to Governor Alia or Benue people.
A genuine apology should have been directed straight at the governor, the statement noted. Instead, Jime's words were "broadcast to no one in particular," officials argued.
Government officials also took issue with Jime's original comments themselves. They called the language disrespectful to the office of governor and unworthy of someone with his political background.
Jime served as Speaker and spent two terms in the National Assembly. Yet he's criticizing the administration, according to the statement.
The former legislator comes from Makurdi Local Government Area, the government pointed out. That same area has received significant infrastructural projects under Governor Alia's tenure over three years.
Officials questioned why Jime would attack the governor despite these developments. They suggested his comments might be politically motivated rather than substantive.
The government hinted that Jime's frustrations stem from another source. His failure to secure a senatorial ticket for the 2027 elections may be driving his criticism, they suggested.
"Is it the roads Governor Hyacinth Alia has constructed in Makurdi that earned him the label of a 'terrorist' in Jime's estimation?" the statement asked pointedly. It also questioned whether Jime is simply "piqued by his inability to secure a senatorial ticket ahead of the 2027 elections."
Regardless of political disagreements, the office of governor deserves respect, government officials stressed. They warned against unnecessary personal attacks on elected leaders.
Even those with grievances against the governor must show deference to his office. This principle applies to everyone, they added, including Jime.
The government rejected Jime's explanation that he merely regretted how his words were "characterised." That clarification doesn't qualify as a proper apology, they insisted.
Officials demanded Jime offer a direct, specific apology to both Governor Alia and the people of Benue State. A vague statement to "some of you who found that offensive" won't suffice.
As it stands, Jime hasn't tendered the kind of apology the government considers appropriate. The administration reiterated its call for a full and unequivocal statement of regret.
