Aondakaa Urges Benue Indigenes To Live In The Spirit Of Togetherness

The former Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Michael Aondoakaa, SAN, has called on the Tiv extraction of Benue state to continue to uphold its tradition that speaks togetherness.

Aondakaa stated this Friday in Makurdi, the state capital, during the fund raising event of the annual Tiv sociocultural festival 'Kyegh Sha Shwa' slated for December.

The governorship aspirant, commended Rev. Fr. Mfa Ukeyima for his astute determination as a priest, to revive the Tiv relational eating habit which promotes togetherness, unity and homogeneity, while encouraging well meaning Tiv sons and daughters to team up with the priest to achieve the mission and vision of the sociocultural event.

He decried the negligence to the Tiv traditional system for variety of reasons, stating that people have avoided getting too closely involved with the rudiments of the Tiv culture and its relationship to development, when the Tiv culture plays significant role in guiding the state along a particular path of equal importance in development.

He boasted about the richness of the Tiv culture and tradition in the area of security, agriculture and moral conduct, noting that it is fast being eroded by religious activities in the state which have been completely adopted at the expense of the Tiv heritage.

Aondoakaa charged participants and the Tiv traditional institution to adjust procedures by taking cultural factors into account in critical areas that made the Tiv man resilient, dogged and impossible to be outsmarted by both internal and external enemies such as the uncompromised place of the 'Ijir I Tamen I Tiv' which used to be the highest decision body in Tiv land.

He asserted that it was never the nature of the Tiv man to give doleful wail to outsiders in the face of afflictions because Tiv has a very rich tradition and longstanding values to handle conflicts and antagonism.

Speaking further, he asked the participants to ignore the narrative that a particular political party or candidate would be muzzled to serve the interest of enemies, but instead measure the depth of competence and experience of candidates to handle the glut of challenges in the state.

Aondoakaa mentioned that Benue state has offered all aspirants opportunities and privileges to be where they are in life and wondered why any of them would contemplate the evil of losing the state to their enemies when they have children, extended family members and businesses that are thriving over the years, citing his rice factory.