The Government Secondary School Otukpo Old Boys Association, (OGSSOBA), has thrown its weights behind its member and one of the institution’s first set alumnus, Senator (Dr) George Igbegbe Akume, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, (SGF), to support the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the 2027 general election.

Senator Akume, a former two terms Governor of Benue State; Senator representing Benue North West Senatorial District, (Zone B), from 2007-2019 and Minister of Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs, graduated from the famous Government Secondary School Otukpo in 1971, after its establishment in 1966.

OGSSOBA, with over 10,000 members, drawn from the old Benue Plateau and Gongola States has branches all over the country including Plateau, Lagos, Taraba, Benue, Nasarawa, Port Hacourt and other states of the federation.

The Alumni is proud of its members who excelled in all fields of human endeavours including the military, civil service, architecture, law, engineering and has produced two State Chief Judges, Justice Iorhemen Hwande and Justice Adam Onum, including many retired and serving military officers.

Known for high discipline, as embedded in its motto, ‘Discipline and Service,’ all students that went through the school exhibit high level of discipline as they are always reminded of the school motto, during assemblies and roll calls.

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According to the National Convener and Coordinator, of the support group, Okpe Oko, JP, and Chief Ali Igboyi, in Abuja on Friday, declared that they have to follow Senator Akume, who is their father and political force in Benue state after serving as a permanent Secretary in the state civil service, Governor, Senator, Minister and now, SGF.

“He is our father, wherever he goes, we go, what ever he says, we follow him and that is why we have decided to queue behind him to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Second term presidential bid in office, to continue with the work he started and bring it to completion,” Oko said.

Recently at the wedding reception between Deborah and Samuel Akume, son of the SGF, President Tinubu, represented by Vice President, Kashim Shettima, said Senator Akume has paid his dues in the Benue and National politics.

He described the SGF as the longest-serving public servant in Nigeria’s contemporary history, noting that he, Tinubu, were concerned in the state because, “what affects Benue State, affects the entire North-Central zone and Nigeria as a whole.”

President Tinubu further stressed that Akume, as a Leader in the North-Central and Nigeria, shows leadership, accommodation and a great deal of kindness saying: “What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us. If there is crisis in the state, it is the people of Benue, North-Central and Nigeria that will suffer.

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“Senator Akume has paid his dues. He is the longest-serving public servant in the contemporary history of this country. He was Director, Protocol in the State, Permanent Secretary, two-time Governor, three-time Senator of the Federal Republic and Minority Leader of the Senate, Federal Minister and now, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF.”

What a worthy father, who would have this kind of father and will not be proud to follow him anywhere he goes, the convener queried.

On why the group is supporting Tinubu, the convener said the fuel subsidy removal is a major example of the President’s bold step to governance, pointing that earlier successful administrations opted for the need to end the subsidy regime, but repeatedly postponed the decision because of fears of public protests and electoral victimisation.

According to him, the major presidential contenders in the 2023 general election campaigned of removing the subsidy, if elected.

He said the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr Dele Alake in a recent interview commended the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms and the ‘Renewed Hope Agenda’ stating that the President’s decision to take some difficult measures were necessary, rescuing the country from long term economic failures.

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President Tinubu, therefore, took bullets on behalf of entire Nigerians from mental and poverty by not allowing Nigerians to carry wheel Barrow loaded of Naira notes to buy a loaf of bread as there would have been terrible inflation in the country.

It was further noted that previous administrations were aware of the needs to correct the country’s economic problems but avoided them stylistically because of political consequences and inclinations at the detriment of the masses.

“Now, we have a bold leader who decided to swallow the bitter pills, took the bullets on behalf of the entire nation to remove the subsidy after assuming office, first thing, in May, 2023, that’s a courageous leader indeed,” Alake had said.

On his part, National Coordinator of the group, Chief Igboyi, stated that there is no doubt that people were suffering in the present administrations but the fuel subsidy removal is a bold step the present government took to cut the cartel’s intention of enslaving Nigerians permanently.

He also said President Tinubu’s economic reforms, infrastructure, investments and security initiatives are laying a stronger foundation for accelerated growth and prosperity across the North Central region and the country at large.

“The region’s vast agricultural land, solid minerals, energy resources and strategic location provides significant opportunities for industrialisation, investment and employment,” he said, citing ongoing federal infrastructure projects, including the Buruku-Logo Bridge and Makurdi-Gboko Road in Benue State; the Mararaba-Keffi expansion and Akwanga-Jos-Bauchi-Gombe-Biu-Maiduguri Superhighway; the Calabar-Ebonyi-Benue-Nasarawa-Abuja Superhighway; as well as the rehabilitated Gwada-Shiroro Road and approved completion of the 71-kilometre Minna-Suleja Road in Niger State.

He also highlighted the recently commissioned $250 million Diamond New Energy lithium mining and processing facility in Nasarawa State, saying it exemplifies the Tinubu Administration’s policy of moving Nigeria from raw mineral extraction towards processing, industrialisation and value addition.