Tension was palpable in Ugba, Logo Local Government Area of Benue State, as the council chairman, Mr. Clement Kav barred a governorship hopeful, Prof Sebastine Hon from receiving a chieftaincy title there.
The Ugondu Traditional Council had officially invited the legal luminary to honour him at their Ugondu Day celebration held Friday in Ugba.
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Prof Hon was to be honoured for his promotion of social justice in Nigeria.
Trouble started when Prof Hon and his entourage arrived the residence of Mue Ter Ichongo, Chief Terngu Iorhuna, in Ugba, the headquarters of Logo LGA.
Few minutes after, the council chairman came in tow with a former Nigerian ambassador to Russia and governorship candidate in the 2011 general elections, Prof Steve Ugba.
The council chairman arrived the palace fuming with rage and shunned greetings from the royal father and guests.
In an outburst he shouted, “I’ll never allow anyone to disrespect Alia [referring to the Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia].
“We don’t want these guests in Logo.”
He abruptly hopped onto one of the waiting vehicles including a pilot van, an SUV and a small car branded with Governor Alia’s image.
Prof Hon quietly left the traditional ruler’s residence to Hon. Iorkohol Ijir’s house where he was given a rousing welcome.
But there too, the council chairman came with a detachment of police led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and ordered that the Learned Silk should leave Ugba.
Prof Hon addressed the crowd that gathered, saying his plan was not to stir trouble in Ugba or anywhere else in the state and so decided to leave.
He thanked the traditional council and the people of Logo for the invitation, saying “I believe the Logo community has welcomed me.
“I haven’t come to scatter the community so I pray that God bless you for offering me a title that has given some people sleepless nights.
“I also pray for those persecuting me.
“I haven’t come out for the contest, yet some people are restless so when I decide to… what will they do?
“I don’t want anybody’s blood to spill because of me so I’m going back and the title should be taken to me.”
The development resulted in a barrage of reactions on the social media.
“Professor Sebastine Hon SAN is a man of peace.
“He is going to leave Ugba as there’s uncertainty over his security in Ugba.
“The legal luminary is yet to even declare his intentions for 2027,” Mike Tavershima posted on Facebook.
Another user stated, “Somebody should tell the chairman that whenever he wants to have an event in Gboko, we will remind him of the Ugba saga simple…
“Prof Sebastine Hon SAN has a home (Gboko) where people operate freely…”
This is happening after a series of similar incidents in the past suggest the political space is being stifled by Governor Alia and his supporters.
In Sept. last year, the No Alia, No Benue group, a gang of hefty young men always dressed in black, chased away the Ter Gboko Chief Gabriel Shosum from a mass where the governor was present himself.
The crowd at Ijir’s house in Ugba beckoned on Prof Hon to go for the governorship seat and liberate them from insecurity and poverty as they have been turned into refugees and beggars and their homes put in ruins.
They insisted he (Hon) has demonstrated capacity to take Benue State out of the woods.
