Protect Benue communities from armed violence — George Akume

Total tracked

Kept

Partial / mixed

Broken

Kept

Partial / mixed

Broken

In progress

Governance

Complete two civilian terms as Benue governor

Kept

The promise

Implicit in contesting in 1999 and 2003 on the PDP platform.

Assessment

Akume was elected in 1999, re-elected in 2003, and served two full terms to 29 May 2007, handing over to Gabriel Suswam. He went on to the Senate, where he became Minority Leader, and later served as a federal minister and as Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Security

Protect Benue communities from armed violence

Broken

The promise

To keep Benue residents safe amid recurring communal clashes and militia activity in the Benue valley.

Assessment

In October 2001, after Tiv militia killed 19 soldiers deployed to a local conflict, the Nigerian Army carried out reprisal killings in Zaki-Biam and surrounding Benue towns, destroying homes and killing a large number of unarmed civilians. It was one of the worst army abuses of the era; no soldier was held accountable, and the state government had little leverage over a federal military operation.

Development

Deliver development for Benue State

Partial

The promise

To improve water, roads and services in an agrarian, allocation-dependent state.

Assessment

The administration adopted the 'Benue Advance Plan' blueprint and delivered a Greater Makurdi water scheme, and Akume left office with no corruption case (he later served as Senator, Minister and Secretary to the Government of the Federation). Beyond the water project, quantified detail on the eight-year infrastructure and services record is thin, and Benue remained poor and allocation-dependent.