President Bola Ahmed Tinubu yesterday intervened in the political disagreement between the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, and Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia.

He urged both leaders to close ranks in the interest of the state’s peace and development.

The President’s appeal was delivered by Vice President Kashim Shettima at the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) Renewed Hope Ambassadors Strategic Summit held at the State House Conference Hall, Abuja.

Addressing the gathering of 29 All Progressives Congress (APC) governors, former governors, ministers, lawmakers and party leaders, Tinubu described the summit as an appropriate platform to make the reconciliation call.

“I want to use this forum to make a special appeal to His Excellency, Senator George Akume, and His Excellency, Governor Hyacinth Alia, to mend fences and work as a team,” the President said.

Highlighting Akume’s long years of public service, Tinubu described him as one of the most experienced public office holders in the current dispensation.

“Senator Akume, apart from Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, is the longest-serving public servant in our current dispensation. He is in his 70s. He started work at the Benue State Government House.

“He was a Director of Protocol, a Permanent Secretary, a governor for eight years, a senator for 16 years, a minister for four years, and now the Secretary to the Government of the Federation. You have seen it all; you are an elder statesman,” he said.

The President urged the SGF to extend a hand of fellowship to the Benue governor in the interest of unity.

“Reach out to our junior brother. Please build Benue together. Benue deserves peace, Benue deserves development. What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us,” he stated.

Though he did not go into details of the disagreement, Tinubu stressed that Nigeria stands at a critical juncture in Africa’s growth trajectory and cannot afford internal divisions.

“The trajectory of global growth is tilting towards Africa, and Nigeria will make or mar that transition. Nigeria is greater than all of us,” he said.

Quoting civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., the President added: “We either learn to live together as brothers, or perish together as fools, and we are not a nation of fools. We are a nation of very intelligent, very smart people who know their onions.”

The intervention, delivered before a high-level APC audience, underscored the President’s call for unity, peace and collaboration as essential pillars for development in Benue State and across the federation. (The Nation)