Jimmy Ajim
By JOHN ONAH, Abuja
The Benue State Director-General for Plenipotentiary and Liaison Affairs, Dr. Jimmy Terhemen Ajim has resigned his appointment.
A copy of Ajim’s letter of resignation with reference no:BN/10/AB/OFF/6/VII/3 and addressed to Governor Hyacinth Alia, through the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), was made available to NATIONAL ACCORD in Abuja on Saturday.
In the letter dated 30th July 2926, Ajim said: “I write to formally tender my resignation as Director-General for Plenipotentiary and Liaison Affairs, effective Monday August 10, 2026 due to personal reasons.”
The resignation comes in the wake of heightening political alignments in Benue State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Although Ajim said he was resigning for “personal reasons,” his exit is bound to generate political discussions, given his long-standing involvement in Governor Alia’s political movement.
Prior to joining the Benue State Government, Dr. Ajim spent nearly three decades with the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (formerly NNPC), where he served in several strategic positions, including Chief of Protocol to successive Ministers of Petroleum, Senior Manager for Protocol and International Liaison, and Liaison Officer to the National Assembly.
His career saw him represent Nigeria at several international engagements, including meetings of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi, the COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow, and other global energy and diplomatic forums.
Ajim, who has been associated with international peace initiatives as a United Nations Ambassador for World Peace, was credited with facilitating the establishment of the first NNPC Mega Station in Makurdi during the administration of former Governor George Akume.
Politically, Ajim was one of the early supporters of Father Alia’s governorship ambition, as a founding member and
Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Alia Alliance support group, one of platforms that mobilized support flahead of the 2023 governorship election.
It is not however clear what implications his resignation could have for the Alia administration and the evolving political landscape in Benue State ahead of the 2027 governorship contest.
The Alia Government had not reacted to Ajim’s letter of resignation at the time of this report.
