BENUE 2023: Terver Akase and the experience question Terver Akase
It is a new year, so courtesy demands that I say happy New Year to you, my readers. May 2022 bring us better 90experiences. Done with the compliments of the season, let’s reflect on some concerns of interest.
Evidently, the dawning of the year 2022 brings us closer to the 2023 general election in the country and particularly the Governorship contest in Benue State.
Benue 2023 guber race is already on, and that Terver Akase, a seasoned journalist is in the forefront of the electoral contest on the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP platform is news that has been firmly established in the minds of the people, old and young.
This writer has been asked questions and engaged on concerns like; “You are supporting a journalist to become a Governor?” “Your principal is intelligent but he lacks experience.” These have preoccupied debates amongst some commentators. Now, let’s address these concerns with the hope of eliciting useful insights beyond the flawed narrative.
Undoubtedly, Terver Akase is a professional journalist by training. A profession he has practiced diligently over the years, winning laurels and profound admiration from many. He has sufficiently prepared himself both in career practice and leadership development receiving national and international trainings.
The gentleman has acquired functional education, earning a Bachelors of Science degree in Mass Communication and additional Masters Degrees in Mass Communication and International Relations and Strategic Studies respectively, and will soon commence his PhD programme.
Mr Akase is an alumnus of the prestigious International Visitor Leadership Programme (IVLP) a rare opportunity he had among a select 16 African journalists fully sponsored by the government of the United States of America for critical leadership training and self development. This international engagement afforded Mr Akase the opportunity to learn the art and science of leadership and governance from key public offices and governmental institutions of the US democratic model.
Here is a gentleman whose humility, industry, dedication, and tenacity of focus and inspiring charisma, had placed him in positions of leadership and service previously, bringing sterling performance to effectively bear on his stewardship.
While as a Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN Correspondent in Rivers State between 2008 and 2013, Mr Akase was trusted by his colleagues to serve as the Chairman, Correspondents’ Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Rivers State. Until being transferred in January 2014 to the FRCN headquarters, Abuja, Akase served as a Senior Editor in Enugu.
It was while at the FRCN headquarters that the Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, appointed Mr Akase, first as his Senior Special Assistant on Media between September 2015 and January 2016 and from then as his Chief Press Secretary, a position in which he served meritoriously, until September 2021 when he voluntarily resigned to pursue his governorship aspiration.
Mr Akase is a member of several professional bodies among which are the global network of journalists called Investigative Reporters and Editors, IRE, and Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ, based in the United States of America.
With such an impressive professional background, who wouldn’t be proud to support Mr Akase to emerge as Governor? How else is experience garnered, if I may ask? No one has been Governor before to acquire experience of the office, there is always the first time on the job, except seeking for a second term in office.
On the insinuation that “Akase is just a journalist”, yes, he is one. Need I mention journalists who have been leaders and even currently serving world leaders who are journalists by training and background? One time Lagos State Governor Lateef Jakande was a journalist, so was the former Governor of Ogun State, Olusegun Osoba. The present Governor of Bauchi State, Bala Mohammed is a journalist who previously worked in Benue State as correspondent of “The Democrat” newspaper.
Down memory lane, our foremost nationalists, Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo as was as Herbert Macaulay all had a background in journalism as much as they were practicing journalists.
On the global scene, the current British Prime Minister, Borris Johnson is a journalist just as President Carlos Alvarado aged 41, the 48th serving President of the Republic of Costa Rica since May 9, 2018 is also a journalist.
To limit the length of this piece, I will task my readers to research the backgrounds of these names I have stated above.
When modern history is documented, it will be recorded that there was a Chief Press Secretary who audaciously rose to become a Chief Executive of a State in Nigeria and that will be the inspiring story of Terver Akase, if it is God’s will come 2023.
**Nongu is the Director of Media of the Terver Akase Campaign Organization for Benue State Governor.
