A socio-political group, Concerned Idah Federal Constituency Movement in Kogi, has appealed to Gov. Yahaya Bello and his deputy, Mr Simon Achuba to bury their differences in the interest of the state.
The group made the appeal in a statement issued and circulated among media houses in Lokoja on Saturday.
The statement signed by Mr Ochalla Alfa and Mr Ojonugwa Ocholi, President and General Secretary of the group, respectively, also enjoined people of goodwill to initiate the process that would bring peace between Bello and Achuba in the interest of justice.
“We are strongly appealing that the Office of the Deputy Governor is the only position occupied by the constituency be retained in the constituency. The Federal Constituency should not be denied of the only position available to it for now,” the statement said.
They urged Bello to be magnanimous enough to extend his hands of fellowship to Achuba to enable them to jointly fly the flag of the APC in the Nov. 16 governorship election.
“Our plea is that the Deputy Governor slot presently being occupied by the Federal Constituency should be maintained, in addition to the consideration of Idah Federal Constituency for more appointive positions,” the group said.
It lamented that the constituency which made up of Ofu, Igalamela-Odolu, Ibaji and Idah Local Government councils and also the ancestral home of the people of Igala Kingdom had been neglected in the scheme of things in the state.
“This explains why the area must be given due attention and recognition in view of the strategic place it occupies in the historical and socio-political settings of Igala Kingdom and the country as a whole,” the statement read further.
It called on the state government to take the necessary steps to quickly address the political imbalance in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice.
The group also decried the non-reappointment of Prof. Stephen Ocheni, the immediate past Minister of State for labour and employment who they said did not serve up to two years in the first term of President Muhammadu Buhari.