What do you know about Igede tribe in benue state?

 What do you know about Igede tribe in benue?

Let's start here, Igede tribe is located in benue  with two local government areas of oju and obi with a population of nearly 1million industrious people, we have rich culture and tradition, our main occupation is farming, we grow and export all kinds of staple food such as garri, yam, rice, potatoes, cassava, millet etc and perishable food items as well.

Our cultural festival is celebrated every September with funfair.

Though We're not on a par with Tiv and idoma politically, but we have had some prominent people in the past, some igede juggernauts include

1. Ode Ojowu, Chief Economic Adviser to President Obasanjo and CEO National Planning Commission.

2. Oga Okwoche, Former Nigerian Ambassador to France.

3. Peter Okwoche, host of the BBC Focus on Africa TV news magazine programme and the former/late deputy governor of benue state chief ogiri ajene who served under governor akume between 1999-2007.

Today there's hardly any faculty or department in benue state university and federal university of agriculture Makurdi where you will not find igede prodigy occupying a prestigious position, we have uncountable professors teaching in various higher institutions across the country.

Indeed igede sons and daughters have made tremendous strides, but those remarkable feats are not enough, we will continue to aspire higher and higher because right now we produce one house of rep member which Is inequitable considering our population, we need more local governments for the sake of equity and fairness. 

Tiv produces the governor and two senators from zone A and zone B while idoma and igede produce one senator from zone C, zone C senator has always been idoma.

Tiv tribe being the fourth largest ethnic group in Nigeria has the numeric advantage over igede and idoma, but we need to discard the born to rule mentality whether at the national or state level because it is dangerous to the concept of democracy.

The story of former American president Barack Obama and goodluck Jonathan is a testament of the government of the people, by the people and for the people, what we need are men and women of goodwill that will bring good governance, listen to the yearning and aspirations of the people and deliver dividends of democracy. Igede has such intellectuals with expertise.

Igede tribe is bigger than some sovereign/independent countries and islands in the world.

Here are some countries with little population.

1 Cape Verde 561,898

2 Maldives 543,617

3 Malta 442,784

4 Brunei 441,532

5 Belize 404,914

6 Bahamas 396,913

7 Iceland 343,353

8 Vanuatu 314,464

9 Barbados 287,711

10 Sao Tome And Principe 223,368

11 Samoa 200,149

12 Saint Lucia 184,400

13 Kiribati 121,392

14 Micronesia 116,254

15 Grenada 113,021

16 Saint Vincent And The Grenadines 111,263

17 Tonga 106,760

18 Seychelles 98,908

19 Antigua And Barbuda 98,731

20 Andorra 77,355

21 Dominica 72,167

22 Marshall Islands 59,610

23 Saint Kitts And Nevis 53,544

24 Monaco 39,511

25 Liechtenstein 38,250

26 San Marino 34,017

27 Palau 18,169

28 Tuvalu 11,931

29 Nauru 10,87

Marginalisation, intolerance and nepotism are bad practices, noisome and unholesome act, it is time to do what is right by giving everybody a chance instead of political expediency.

Igede should be given ministerial slot and other federal government appointments.

I believe igede should produce the next governor in benue state come 2023, it is very much feasible with the support of Tiv and idoma.

The current hostility between igede and Tiv which has claimed so many lives is unfortunate, we shouldn't be at variance and loggerheads because of land, not seeing eye to eye isn't what benue needs, we can't make headways with antagonism, disharmony and dissention.

I call on governor Orton to address the issue diligently.