Benue @50: The Aku Leadership Paradigm and The Renaissance of Good Governance

By Akosu Emmanuel Lubem

Benue State came into being on 3rd February, 1976, following the Justice Ayo Irekefe Panel's recommendations for the creation of additional states in the country. Aper Aku the first democratically elected governor of Benue State had risen to power on the threshold of public acceptability and goodwill, his known ideals and antecedents, first as an anti-corruption crusader during the era of General Yakubu Gowon as Military President .

JD Gomwalk, a former Commissioner of Police was Gov of Benue Plateau. He had been enmeshed in serial instances of abuse of public office and trust, intently awarding public contracts mainly to family lines and cronies . Some official sleaze instances that had caught the attention of the young eagle-eyed civil servant and patriotic Aper Aku who at the time was Secondary school teacher, but felt patriotically uncomfortable with the public malfeasance happening around the corridors of power. Thus Aku now capped with evidence arose in defense of public probity and accountability to challenge Mr Gomwalk to the gallery of justice. Even though , Aku would suffer undue persecution and intimidation as a result of his patriotic stand , he eventually won his battle against highly placed Gomwalk and would later be regaled an anti corruption crusader.

This early feat for public probity rightly formed the impetus for Aku's emergence as elected Governor, translating his impeccable public rating for the greater good of Benue State as envisioned.

To many, Aku represented the long awaited Messiah who was to liberate the lot of Benue people from the rudderless insensitive military rule. Like Mahatma Ghandi of India, Aper Aku convicted himself to become ultimate hope of the common man. Simply daring and unrepentant in his selfless quest to liberate and bring development to Benue state.

When he first became an elected Council Chairman in Kwande Local Government by 1976, his capacity and zeal for service delivery saw him began a turnaround of the Virgin Kwande with impressive infrastructure and great structural plan of the Local Government. To many, what is today known as Kwande London is quite purely anchored on Aku's vision.

With passion and the zeal to redirect the eclipse of survival on every sphere of humanity, he attended to the basic needs of the people like potable water, health, education, and food never to be noticed in this part of the world.

In 1979, the searchlight was beamed and effectively history smiled on Aku. His exceptional public credentials and consistent tract record of service became all that mattered to be elected as their choicest leader.

Formidable politicians like Atim Atedze, Chia Surma, Isaac Shaahu , Paul Belabu had equally squared up for the race to the oval Benue Government house. But the people saw in Aku their collective conscience and most needed , even though the above mentioned politicians were better placed financially to prosecute a governorship campaign at the time.

In less than three years in the saddle, Aku initiated economic and Political policies aimed at vast infrastructural development, social empowerment and ensured eqitable distribution of wealth amongst the three senatorial zones in Benue state. Benue was not just brought back to life again, but given a better standard of living than it had before its pull out of Benue-Plateau.

The socio- economic position of the people had swelled up and worked like magic. Industries began to sprang up and social empowerment reigned in every household. Agriculture was given a cap and subsistent farmers shifted to advanced farming methods and become largely empowered economically. Their raw agricultural produce could no longer waste . The demands for crops like soyabeans increased as the people enjoyed large economies of scale.

Free education abounded during Aku's reign as Governor. Aper Aku knew that the first condition to liberate and make the people masters of their political will was to enlighten and educate them. He understood that an ignorant people would become continued slaves to the world around them. He therefore desired the ultimate for his people educationally. The results started gaining grounds as a Federal University of Agriculture would later be sited in the State.

It was during Aper Aku's reign as Executive Governor that Benue indigenes got impressive scholarship to pursue advance scholarships internationally. Those who became beneficiaries of the State government' scholaships were selected not on the basis of favoritism, but on needs and competencies with most of them coming from poorer homes. Large number of Benue indigenes on schoalrship in Western countries were sponsored and catered for adequately. Funds meant for this project was regularly and consistently remitted to save the Benue students from financial embarrassments while on international study. The indigenous international based Benue Students consistently passed through the airports unmolested. All the boldness, intelligence, character, organization the Benue international students were reckoned with was because , Aku was the pacesetter leader, and role model.

The government had intended that these same future leaders would learn global leadership paradigms and return to take over the affairs the their state with the best of public service norms and standards.

Back home, Aku had equally democratize education, free for all and sundry by making it available and affordable.

Competitive and viable industries were raised in all parts of the state with focus on developing the agricultural value chain in the state. For example, the Taraku Mills Limited had started producing high level products of competitive reckoning. The Benue Breweries Limited brewed some of best brand of beverages. There was Otukpo Burnt Bricks, Benue Bottling Company with the state rising in high competition as a global business hub.

While Aku lasted at the helm, tourisim was at it's peak. The envisioned and bringing into reality the Benue Hotels, Sheraton Hotel, Ikyogen Cattle Ranch were all pointers to the fact that Benue was heading to its desired economic prosperity . It was also during Aper Aku's tenure that one of the best state civil service secreatriate was built in the state capital Makurdi, the Commissioners Village with state of the art concepts and designs. In less than 48 months, Benue was in no tine rebuilt economically, infrastructurally, and socially synonymous to the Marshall plan of the western Europe after the 2nd World War.

Politically, Aper Aku championed and advocated for the rotation of power to be shared amongst the six geopolitical zones in the state. Aku's name would continue to crop up whenever political development and history are being discussed.

The return of democracy in 1999 may have brought its challenges and prospects especially for a State that has turned the golden age of 50 today. A cursory and keen look however would sure instructs the mind that indeed selfless and purposeful leadership seem to be possible in the apocalypse. The reechoed chants of selfless leadership conducts, effective governance is only renaissance of the possibilities of the late Governor Aper Aku leadership paradigm, further
opening the trajectory that hope indeed lies maximally ahead for the greater good and future of Benue State

Happy Benue @50

AKOSU Emmanuel Lubem,
Author and Good Governance Advocate