A key factor that sets leaderships apart is the capacity to effectively formulate, harmonize, implement, monitor and evaluate policies and programmes. Therefore, merit must constitute the overriding yardstick for the appointment of a Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) by any federal government. In order for the incoming administration of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu to takeoff with the right momentum and maintain a steady course, it must accord priority attention to the character, personality, experience and disposition of the next SGF. That’s where Sen. (Dr.) George Akume comes into the picture.
Arguably the foremost political titan from the core Middle Belt Region (you may call it the North Central Region) today, Sen. Akume, the current Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs and Special Duties, is from every logical perspective the best primed person to man the rarefied Office of the SGF in the coming political dispensation. This is even more so as the APC, in its unassailable wisdom, had decidedly zoned the position of the SGF to the North Central.
Although Sen. Akume needs no introduction, I’ll suffice to state that he is a quintessential public servant, a core grassroots politician and perfect gentleman. He served as Governor of Benue State between 1999 and 2007, making history as the first Governor of the ‘Food Basket State’ to successfully complete two consecutive tenures in office. He subsequently served as a Senator of the Federal Republic representing Benue North-West Senatorial District, from 2007 to 2019. In July 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari nominated Sen. Akume to serve in his cabinet, following which he was assigned to captain the Federal Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs and Special Duties, a position he holds till date.
Indeed, the Office of the SGF is the omnibus of the federal government; saddled with a plethora of humongous functions. The SGF is the Number One Bureaucrat of the Federal Republic, as his office is the frontline advisory institution to the Presidency. The Office of the SGF also drives policy formulation, harmonization, implementation and monitoring of the various Federal Ministries, Department and Agencies. In addition, scores of sensitive federal parastatals are domiciled in the Office of the SGF, making it the rallying point for any federal administration in Nigeria.
Consequently, the ideal SGF must be a person of immense wisdom, sound judgment, versatility and commendable wealth of experience in governance, administration and public service. He must be visionary, exceptionally diligent and fully committed to the success of the administration; while possessing imitable patience, tolerance and a keen eye for details. The SGF must always exude positive energy, passion and grace; and be an adherent of inclusive leadership. Of course, effective communication is another key quality of an efficient SGF, and Sen. Akume is the embodiment of all these aforementioned attributes and more.
I recall, when I was elected President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) in 2002, Sen. Akume was the first Nigerian Governor to host me and my set of NANS executives. The occasion enabled me to truly appreciate his sterling leadership qualities and depth of knowledge. His advices to me then still remain cardinal pillars of my social and political growth. Sometimes, I still hear him telling me in his soft-toned voice, “Onjeh, you can disarm your greatest enemy with humility.” Sen. Akume has raised and empowered countless young leaders from Benue State, both politically and economically. He has equally mentored many youths to rise to political prominence, and he is obviously not done yet.
Sen. Akume relates effortlessly with; and appeals to people of all gender, ages, classes, tribes, religions and political divides. His political, social and economic tentacles are large and strong enough to attract and sustain the needed goodwill of the vast majority of Nigerians for the Tinubu Administration. Compared to his years of meritorious public service and the exalted positions he has held, Sen. Akume may not seem to have accumulated much mundane wealth, but a lot of us will testify that his kindness and generosity is evident in the lives of countless citizens of Benue State.
I boldly state that no politician of the old Middle Belt extraction has made the degree of sacrifice that Sen. Akume has made towards building the APC. Since he left the PDP for APC in 2010, he has been met with much frustration, yet, his steadfastness helped to sustain the structures of the APC for several years as an opposition party in Benue State. Akume has paid the last ounce of his dues in Nigerian politics, and mostly to the APC. He remains the undeniable rallying point for the opposition in Benue State. Ever accessible to the people, Sen. Akume is firmly and constantly in touch with the grassroots. He listens intently, and as much as possible, attends to the problems of his people.
Born in 1953, Sen. Akume is a native of Wannune in Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State. He bagged a B.Sc. in Sociology from Nigeria’s premier university, the University of Ibadan, in 1978; and M.Sc. in Industrial and Labour Relations from the same institution in 1986. He was listed as a Member of the Great Tedder Hall of Fame at the University of Ibadan. Akume further bagged a Certificate in Management from the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria, (ASCON) in 1988.
Sen. Akume is a consummate civil servant. After his mandatory NYSC programme in the 1978-1979 service year, during which he taught at the Advanced Teachers College, Jos, Plateau State (now College of Education, AKwanga, Nasarawa State), Sen. Akume commenced work formally as a Land Officer with the Benue State Civil Service, and rose steadily through the ranks in the public service until 1998, when he voluntarily retired as the Permanent Secretary (Establishments and Management Services) at the Federal Ministry of Education, Lagos State. In the course of his exemplary career, Sen. Akume served as Principal Secretary; Under Secretary and Director of Personnel Management at the Benue State Governor’s Office. He was also a Sole Administrator of Idah Local Government Council (currently in Kogi State); and Sole Administrator of Gboko Local Government Council in 1991. He was later appointed Director of Protocol, Government House, Makurdi, in 1992.
There’s no gainsay that Sen. Akume has been an unrepentant loyalist of the President-Elect, Asiwaju Tinubu. In the build-up to the APC 2023 Presidential Primary Election, he made it abundantly clear to all Benue people, where he stood. He never dilly-dallied on his support for a Tinubu Presidency, and he gallantly led Benue people into a resounding victory at the 2023 presidential poll, delivering Benue overwhelmingly to the APC.
A Catholic Knight of the finest hue, Sen. Akume has been to several countries including the USA, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Columbia, Japan, Taiwan, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Mexico, Switzerland, Jamaica, Cuba and Thailand, to mention but a few. He is a recipient of the key to the city of Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.
It is with immense pride that I present Sen. (Dr.) George Akume; the munificent servant leader, bridge-builder and undoubtedly best choice for the next SGF.
Comrade Daniel Onjeh, former Chairman, Governing Board of PRODA, Enugu, and APC 2023 Senatorial Candidate for Benue South, wrote in from Abuja.
