‘What Manner Of Wisdom Is This?’ Peter Obi’s Visit, An Advertisement Of Benue’s Barbaric Backwardness – Emma Ogebe
The Oasis Reporters
September 9, 2026
The barbaric blocking in Benue of Gov Peter Obi on a relief mission to the devastated people of the state is a man-made tragedy of national proportions. However it is merely the banner advertisement of banal governance that has kept the food basket of the nation backwards and a basket case in terms of development.
First let it be pointed out that a state government that couldn’t prevent Fulani terrorists from multiple attacks in Benue in the past weeks managed to mobilize miscreants to prevent Gov Obi from coming to the aid of victims.
Secondly a state that has been unable to resettle over a million displaced farmers back on their ancestral lands chose to unsettle a prominent political figure coming to commiserate with them in their camps.
Thirdly, the state that tried to extort millions out of American missionary Alex Babir and then lied about the dozens of houses he rebuilt is doing worse to a former chief executive of a state, popular presidential candidate and citizen of the nation.
Fourthly, a state that has allocated land for the establishment of permanent enclaves of cattle and herders, while its citizens are still in IDP camps, stopped a national leader from a mere visit.
Welcome to Introduction to Benue Madness 101.
This is the second time Gov Obi has been sabotaged from coming to the state by Gov. Alia (aka “Not Father” formerly known as “Yes Father”). In other words, wisdom was not profitable to redirect the misguided Father after his first iniquity. He did it again. He also reportedly stopped Deeper Life leader Kumuyi’s event in Benue.
Even in the north, Obi was not mistreated this way, including his visit to Sokoto, the seat of the Fulani caliphate. Obi had a pleasant reception from the Sultan compared to the hostile non-reception from a Rev Father of his own Catholic denomination.
Sadly it is not just Obi. During the conferment of a chieftaincy title on the chairman of the ruling party in December, violence broke out between the supporters of the governor and the supporters of the Secretary to the Federal government. Yes, the governor is fighting with his godfather and mentor who is the highest ranking middlebelter in the Tinubu administration.
So if the two are still fighting and cannot resolve it, like PDP FCT Minister Wike did with his estranged successor and protege in Rivers state, as members of the same party, it does not reflect well on the president nor the ruling APC.
Sadly, this is how they behave as fellow tribes/party men. One can only imagine how they mistreat minorities in the state.
We reached out to the state government to provide security to our US team to rebuild a community that had been devastated by Fulani attacks. Upon learning that the village was in Idoma land, none was provided. The village has been wiped off the face of the earth as rain demolished even the structures still standing after the Fulani attack.
While governorship rotates between the two Tiv Zones A & B, it has never rotated to the Idoma Zone C. In other words, the Tiv majority tribe know what fairness means as far as it applies only to themselves, not other tribes.
In effect, the way Christian minorities are politically marginalized in the north is similar to the way ethnic minorities are marginalized in Benue under a Rev Father as governor even.
Even the two federal cabinet level positions are Tiv-occupied – the SGF and the minister representing Benue.
The Rev Father-Governor has no completed project in Benue South Zone C area in three years. His administration was begged to fix the Otukpo-Igumale road in 2024 as dignitaries were coming there for the burial of the first professor in Benue Plateau states, Prof OC Onazi, but didn’t do it till this day. Instead the governor built a senseless flyover in Makurdi town which has no traffic congestion even drawing the mockery of Tinubu who accused governors of receiving more allocation but blowing it on flyovers!
According to Prof Pita Agbese, a distinguished academic in Diaspora who retired and returned home, “in Zone C, Alia has nothing to show for his three years and four months’ stewardship…the road (that) leads to my ancestral village…is only approximately 31 kilometers long…only about 2 kilometers have been tarred…(in) 11 months. it will take 170.5 months (14 years)…the Otukpo-Igumale road…is virtually impassable now.”
In 2024, my US team conducted two medical missions in the community. Three of our vehicles broke down on that road including one I imported from the U.S. that has never had an issue.
In 2025 we didn’t go but when we tried to do another medical mission in 2026, we learnt the road is so much worse that we can’t even bring the medical equipment shipped from the US for surgeries! Even our American assistance is impacted by Governor Alia’s misgovernance. He’s not helping our people and he’s not allowing us and others to help our people.
In 2021 we pleaded with the state government to repair Agatu road as we were expecting international guests for the dedication of a church destroyed by Fulani bandits in 2016 which we rebuilt. It never was.
Interestingly, Gov Wike insulted Gov Ortom in national media for non-payment of salaries. However Ortom received him graciously during a condolence visit and Wike donated millions in relief assistance.
Gov Alia has taken tribal discrimination to a new level which is ungodly for a man of God. Even while visiting the U.S. he interacted with only the Tivs in Diaspora and barely responded to the Idomas.
In another mindless project, the man of God launched a merely rebranded beer can as a new industrial project in the state. Even the name of the renewed hoax beer was in Tiv language when there are at least half a dozen languages in the state. A priest/governor who inaugurates drunkenness and attendant social vices as a project, is that one a governor?
The sad reality is that Idoma people have no sense of belonging or benefit of citizenship in Nigeria. At the federal level, the majority tribes dominate be it the Fulani or Yoruba presidency; at the state level we have no stake not even head of any arm of government; and on our very ancestral lands, we are displaced by Fulani herdsmen.
As a Nigerian American, I have better prospects of being a governor in a racist environment than I have of being a governor of Benue.
Hopefully Nigerians can now understand why, after multiple massacres in their communities in July, Idomas rejected the beggarly N5 million sent to them by Gov Alia. Ironically they welcomed Obi warmly.
The Idomas are the second largest tribe in Benue. Although they attained western education before the Tiv majority tribe, they have been denied headship of all three arms of government except for Justice Ada Onum who served for six months after being denied Chief Judge for over a decade, just like my dad and Hon. Ejembi Eko JJSC were denied their constitutional and professional right of seniority-based headship. Hon. Justice J.O. Ogebe was the first indigenous judge of Benue Plateau states but was denied Chief Judgeship despite acting twice following the retirement of a non-indigene CJ.
But the Idomas are not exclusionary.
The Igede are a smaller tribe with two local government areas in the Idoma region. They produced the longest reigning 1st class chief of the whole of Idoma land HRH Abraham Ajene Okpabi and several deputy governors.
– the Ufia are even smaller than the Igede. They don’t even have an LGA. They have just one tiny village called Utonkon. The Idomas made them 1st class traditional ruler for the entire Idoma land Ambassador Edwin Ogbu (Nigeria’s former UN ambassador.)
– in Ado LGA, settlers from Ebonyi state in southeast called the Ezza have held councilor positions and special assistants for years.
In Benue and Plateau, the people voted APC and PDP for Governor respectively but voted Obi for president in 2023. Plateau did not mistreat Obi when he visited. Alia should recognize that Obi and he gained the votes of Benue people simultaneously and respect him accordingly.
Idomas have no state and Benue people have no governor. When enemies are killing you and friends are hindered from visiting you by your failed protector, then you’re what Fela called “Beast of no nation.”
The Idoma are a fair and accommodating people who deserve the same from the Tiv majority.
Dear Peter Obi, now you understand our statelessness thanks to “ex-Father’s” actions towards you. If they can treat you like this, then you can only imagine what sons of the soil are going through.
Written by Emmanuel Ogebe, a US based Rights Attorney and public affairs analyst.
