In a bid to restore peaceful coexistence among the Tiv elite, the Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam and the governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Prof. Steven Ugba will engage in a football match.
This was revealed yesterday by a group, Association for Tiv Empowerment (ATE-U-TIV), a social media platform for the realization of using the power of networking to connect the Tiv community and those in the Diaspora to enhance rapid development in the state and country.
Chairman of the central planning committee of the ATE-U-TIV end of the year carnival, Mrs. Mngunengen Awunah-Ikyegh, while briefing newsmen yesterday, in Makurdi said the football match will be played on December 31, 2012.
She disclosed that the network was established in 2005 as Global Tiv Networks and those ideas were shared on this forum.
According to Ikyegh, after a social interaction on line for so many years, members of the group decided to put faces to posts, hence in 2011, the “Ate Carnival” was built.
She said the aim was to unite the entire Tiv Nation in order to foster strength, growth and development and to create a tourism specific through these annual events characterized by showcasing the rich and yet untapped cultural heritage.
“It is our firm belief that we can export our cultural potentials to the world to gain economic value and a unique identity.
Disunity amongst the Tiv has brought about gross underdevelopment in terms of human, material and economic resources.
Over the years, this has gradually affected the economic well-being of the Tiv nation thus leading to our loss of self-esteem and relevance among other ethnic groups in the country,” Ikyegh said.
Governor Gabriel Suswam had a keen contest with Professor Steven Ugba of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in the 2011 governorship election in Benue State. And since the election, there was no love lost between the duo.
Gabriel Suswam was born on 15 November 1964 in Anyiin, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State. In 1986, he was admitted into the Law Faculty of the University of Lagos. He obtained an LL.B degree in 1989, and the BL Certificate from the Nigerian Law School, Lagos in 1990.
He was called to the Bar that year. He worked for other law firms from 1990–1994, while continuing his studies. In 1994, he launched his own law firm.
He ran for office in the House of Representatives in 1999 for the Katsina-Ala/Ukum/Logo Federal Constituency, and was elected on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) platform.[4] He was appointed Chairman of the House Services Committee, and later Chairman, House Committee on FCT. He ran again, and was reelected in 2003. On 3 July 2003, he was appointed Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, then in August, 2005 he was appointed Chairman, House Committee on Power.