The Nyifon people in Buruku Local Government Area of Benue State have lamented neglect and non-inclusion of their tribe in power-sharing in the state.
They are begging the state government to recognise them in the scheme of things by restoring Nyifon council ward as allotted to them during the regime of the late Governor Aper Aku to enable them to be on their own as a people.
Our correspondent reports that the people voiced out their frustration in a letter written by their Concerned Youths and signed by its President, Akertyo Christopher to Governor Samuel Ortom on the need for his intervention.
“Let me also buttress further that, there has been no power shift, while inequality, equity, lack of transparency, unfairness and injustice has become the order of the day in Mbaikyongo/Nyifon council ward. Unlike the recognition of Etulos and Abakpas by their Shorov brothers, the Nyifon’s is zero.
“The marginalisation of the Nyifon people can be attested to the fact that even as I write this letter, the community has no representative in the ruling PDP caucus be it at state and local government level despite their loyalty to the party over time and during your administration inclusive,” the letter read in part.
They added that politics should not be overtaken by sentiments and ethnicity, stressing that it should be liberal and all-encompassing because the minority, like the Nyifons, contributes significantly their quota to national development including payment of taxes among others.
