Biography
George Akume: Biography, Education, Career, Marriage, Net Worth, Achievements and Controversy
Senator George Akume, in June 2023, was appointed by Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
Biography
Date of Birth and Age
George Akume was born on December 27, 1953. He is currently 69 years old and will be 70 years old by December 27, 2023.
Tribe
Akume hails from Wannune Tarka Council Area of Benue State, a local Government named after the famous minority right crusader, Late Senator Joseph Sarwuan Tarka.
Marriage
George Akume is married to Regina Akume and they are blessed with children.
Education
He had his Primary Education at the then Native Authority (N.A) Primary School at his birth place (1960 – 66) and the former Government Secondary School, Otobi now Model Science School, Otukpo, Benue State, (1967 – 71) for his Secondary Education.
George was at St. Louis College for his Advanced Level (1972), and there after proceeded to the Premier University, the University of Ibadan for his Bachelor of Science Degree in Sociology (1978).
He also obtained a Masters Degree in Industrial and Labour Relations (MILR) from the same Department and University (1986).
Akume was at Administrative Staff College of Nigeria (ASCON) where he obtained a Certificate in Management (1988).
Career
In 1999, he became governor of Benue State and served two terms of four years. He won elections to represent the people of Benue as a senator for Benue North-West in Nigeria’s senate.
Akume was re-elected Senator for Benue North-West in the April 2011 elections, running on the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) platform. He polled 261,726 votes, defeating Terngu Tsegba of the PDP who won 143,354 votes.
He was again re-elected to the senate under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.
He was chairman senate committee on army and a ranking member of senate. He was nominated and confirmed a minister of by Muhammadu Buhari.
Akume served as minister of Special Duties and Inter-governmental Affairs under President Muhammadu Buhari from 2019 to 2023.
He was on June 2, 2023, appointed as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Countries he has visited
Senator Akume has visited the United States, Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy, and Cuba.
He has been to Ghana, South Africa, Jamaica, Israel, India, Brazil, Colombia, Thailand, Japan, Taiwan, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Mexico, Switzerland, and Jamaica, among other countries.
Controversy
Alleged certificate forgery
In 2013, Phillip Agbese, an indigene of Benue, instituted a suit against Akume, alleging that the academic credentials used by Akume to secure governorship position in Benue were forged.
According to him, Mr. Akume used the same credentials to win the election that brought him to the Senate.
However, Akume disproved the claim that he forged his educational certificates.
Akume, in his statement on oath, denied forging any certificate. He described the suit by Agbese as a measure to harass and intimidate him.
He claimed to have lost the original copies of the certificates when he was packing from his home into the Government House in Makurdi following his election as governor in 1999.
The two-time governor said he reported the loss of the documents to the police, who advised him to swear to an affidavit.
Akume also tendered a copy of the affidavit, dated September 23, 2010, endorsed by the Commissioner of Oath, High Court of Justice, Benue State.
He averred that the issuing agencies refused to issue him with fresh certificates on the grounds that such academic certificates were only issued once.
Allegedly insulted Benue top monarch, churches
Tiv Youth Organization, (TYO) in 2019 called on then President Muhamadu Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, call the Akume who was the Minister of Special Duties and Inter-Governmental Affairs to order over his recent insults on the person and office of the Tiv Paramount Ruler, the Tor Tiv, HRM Professor James Ayatse, who is also the Chairman, Benue State Council of Chiefs.
The youth group claimed that during a ceremony in Makurdi at the weekend, the former Senator representing Benue North West, Akume made scathing and derogatory statements against the Tor Tiv, accusing him of partisanship – (tor pati) meaning king of politics.
“Akume’s claims that Tor Tiv played a key role in his defeat at the last general election is neither here nor there. How did the Tor Tiv cause Akume’s defeat? Was the paramount ruler part of INEC or did he prevent Akume’s supporters from voting for the Senator?
“This is not the first time that Senator Akume has cast aspersions on the integrity of the Tor Tiv and other leaders of the land. Akume has not spared any Benue son or daughter from his vitriol since he lost his bid to return to the red chamber of the National Assembly. The disturbing trend has now moved against the Chief Custodian of the Tiv cultural heritage the Tor Tiv.”
Akume, however, denied the allegation.
Speaking at the wedding reception in honor of the Tiv Paramount ruler’s son, Dr Fanen Ortese, Ayatse at the IBB Square in Makurdi, explained that he would not dare such a thing considering his background as someone whose family had produced a traditional ruler of high status.
Allegedly assaulted Mike Mku at Tor Tiv son’s wedding
A former governorship candidate in Benue State, Mike Mku, in February 2020 accused Akume of assaulting him at the wedding ceremony of the son of Tor Tiv, Professor James Ayatse.
Mku, a former aide to President Olusegun Obasanjo, in the statement, said that the minister approached a table where he sat and after he was done exchanging pleasantries with others, hit his chest and also instructed his security aides to push him out of the way.
“Senator Akume physically and violently assaulted me at the wedding of son to Tor Tiv, Professor James Ortese Ayatse, last Saturday in Makurdi.
“The incident took place where I and a number of other Tiv sons sat at the wedding reception. I shared a table with Chiefs Edward Ashiekaa, Joseph Zendesha, Jime Akaakar, Senator Jack Tilley Gyado, Dr. Philip Zegetar Iyortyer and some others.
“The minister approached our table and we all stood up to exchange pleasantries with him. However, when he got to me, and I made to shake hands with him, he shoved me aside.
“He also ordered his security detail to take me out of his sight as he angrily pointed a finger in my face. At this point, I told the security man not to come near me before those around us moved in and appealed to Senator Akume. They eventually took him away from the event,” he said.
In 1998, Mku and Akume contested the PDP governorship primaries, but Akume won. In 2003, both emerged governorship candidates of two political parties. For the senatorial district election, Akume also defeated Mku.
Ortom sued Akume N60 billion for Defamation
Ex-Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, in September 2021 instituted a N60bn lawsuit against Akume.
The suit, No. MHC/268/2021, was filed by Okon N. Efut, (SAN), and four other lawyers on behalf of Ortom.
Ortom’s suit followed Akume’s comment during a press conference in Abuja, where the minister accused the governor of ineptitude, disrespect for the then-President, Muhammadu Buhari, as well as massive corruption.
In the libel suit, Ortom is seeking N50bn as general damages and another N10bn as exemplary and aggravated damages.
Ortom complained that the press conference was intended to lower his estimation before right-thinking members of society and to expose him to hatred, contempt and ridicule.
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