Monday, 20 May 2013
ACN Asks Martin Luther King, Jr. Center, USA, to Withdraw Gabriel Suswam’s Award Without Delay
Gov. of Benue state, Gabriel Suswam
By SaharaReporters, New York
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Benue State has vehemently denounced a foreign award conferred on the governor of Benue State, Mr. Gabriel Toruwa Suswam by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center in the United States.
In a statement, the party advised the management of the Center, which is located in Atlanta, Georgia, to withdraw the award immediately. The governor was presented with the award on January 18.
“While ACN has no issues with Governor Suswam receiving a personal award for private endeavors, we feel ashamed, betrayed, and embarrassed by the said award given to him for “meritorious” service to his nation,” the statement said, stressing that Suswam's well-known profligacy ought not to be rewarded by the revered Center.
The party said it was even more appalled that the Center went ahead with the award despite having been promptly alerted about the risk it was taking. It described the conferment of the noble award on an undeserving individual as a betrayal of Dr. King's legacy.
“The organizers of the 2013 MLK Award have robbed the people of Benue State, Nigeria of their right to commemorate the noble memory of Dr. King at this year's remembrance, by not only honoring the plunderer of their commonwealth, but also cheapening the image of Dr. King in an apparently monetized award.”
ACN called on the Center to understand that the good people of Benue State have been shortchanged for the past five years by Suswam’s poor governance and activities that are at total variance with the ideals that Dr. King stood for.
“Governor Gabriel Suswam has totally embraced unbridled violence to achieve his political ambitions, contrary to the non-violence principle that Dr. King promoted and died for,” the statement said.
It pointed out that while the governor celebrated his award with pomp and pageantry at the Hyatt Plaza in Atlanta, for instance, hospitals in Benue State are starved of medication, and teachers’ salaries remain unpaid.
It also said: “Despite the purported commissioning of the water works in Makurdi, Otobi and Katsina-Ala by President Goodluck Jonathan, water is very far from being available to the people because reticulation has not been done. It is therefore, not possible for Governor Suswam to have saved over two million children through the provision of clean water. Most families still depend on other sources of water supply in Benue State for domestic use.”
ACN urged the MLK Center to withdraw the award so as to avoid the impression being created in the minds of Benue people and Nigerians that the legacy of the legendary Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., has been auctioned to the governor at the cost of their commonwealth.
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maybe their so called good-father akume merit it more than sus
Submitted by collz (not verified) on January 22, 2013 - 06:17.
A C N in benue is only a party that is filled with confuse n greedy ppl like d likes of akume, iornem, ugba, ayu, onoja etc this r made ppl. wat hav they done for their ppl before they want change a government they were there and made no impact. Wre was benue state, wre is benue now and hw is benue state going to be in future. It is not better for some one to get an award than carrying our money to buy companies in foriengn lands. Well akume will answer more of that.
The aim is defeated.
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 22, 2013 - 05:57.
In response to your comment, I am ashamed because it us people like you who say PHCN is not trying. They have not done their duties because power is still not stable. Suswan, is currupt, just like every other present and past governor or ruler in Nigeria. Since he has been given the prestigious award which he does not merit then we must speak out. Are we all fools?
ACN, must you always open your Gutter Stinking Mouth?
Submitted by OmonBendel (not verified) on January 22, 2013 - 00:34.
Soon, no nigerian will stop reading and listening to your trash.
ACN and I know that Tinubu is no better than Suswan when it comes corruption
Re-So we should not promote good
Submitted by Jacob (not verified) on January 21, 2013 - 21:21.
Mr. Terkula Suswam, I could not understand what your second to the last sentence is saying, "Infact Benue has not seen any new development since 2009." It is a clear indication Benue has not seen any new development since your brother became the governor. Stupid man!
Shame, Shame
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 21, 2013 - 19:21.
For an organization that stands for civil rights, this is a total shame. I wonder how much Suswam paid Andrew Young and Dr. Babs of Atlanta.
Shame.
EVEN A CERTIFICATE FORGER
Submitted by luku yr own nko (not verified) on January 21, 2013 - 19:11.
EVEN A CERTIFICATE FORGER LIKE TINUBU WAS ALLEGEDLY INVITED TO ATTEND THE NDC IN THE USA-IT TURNED OUT TO BE A LIE! rather than hide their soul in shame its this yeye rubbish they want to disturb us with
Hhya!!!
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 21, 2013 - 18:28.
Na wa o!!! Abeg all other awards wey people dey buy or the dey dash dem, dem deserv am?! Jatijati! Jagbajantis! Shirme! Abeg people boro me word for igbo...
So we should not promote good
Submitted by Terkura (not verified) on January 21, 2013 - 17:09.
So we should not promote good governance because of tribal and political sentiment. I only want to let you know that what is good is good and what's bad is bad. Wether you are a Yoruba man or Tiv man what you merit should be yours. Suswam has done Benue no good a bit. Infact Benue has not seen any new development since 2009. MLK centre never carried out proper research before the awards.
This is pure nonsense. Will
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 21, 2013 - 14:19.
This is pure nonsense. Will you write this if given to Tinubu? What is the difference between tinubu and the governor? Even obasanjo is no different. Obasanjo has been given many unmerited awards in Europe despite his poor perfomance. The fact is that westerners have the culture of identifying with somebody even a rebel. The UN selected obasanjo to oversee Ghanian election when obasanjo inflated and rigged election in his home town from 400000 to five million So the writer should stop this undeserving writing. Our leaders are all failures in Nigeria.
Too bad
Submitted by Linus (not verified) on January 21, 2013 - 13:17.
For the award to be considered at all is a negation of justice. This is a governor who never pays primary school teachers and is one that syphon the public fund. When will we ever stop the worship of mediocrity in this country
If it was Tinubu
Submitted by Onosobedi? (not verified) on January 21, 2013 - 11:50.
I am sure if it was Tinubu the award would have been well-deserved. Hypocrites! Alliance for Corruption in Nigeria!!
POT CALLING KETTLE BLACK
Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on January 21, 2013 - 08:59.
ACN in Benue state lack the moral right to make the above demand. ACN as led by MR George Akume is a total failure in Benue. Suswan has done fairly well within the resources available. About political violence, I challenge Nigerian to make their findings about political violence in Benue state. ACN and it's sponsor Akume are reputed to be blood thirsty and violent in their pursuit of political power. The last local government election where ACN lost all seats including Akume stronghold his local government attest to the fact that ACN is not considered as credible alternative in Benue state.
hmmm
Submitted by Spectre (not verified) on January 21, 2013 - 07:11.
...It looks as if, 'someone' in ACN wants the award, for himself...
.
