An Open Letter To Governor Samuel Ortom Of Benue State By JAMOR

Your Excellency sir,

Benue is estimated to have close to 5million people and it seems everybody wants to be chairmen, transition committee member, political thug, runs girl and so on. Your Excellency should stir the state out of this mess and create a better environment for private sector to thrive.


AGRICULTURE, INDUSTRY AND COMMERSE

Benue state is a disadvantaged state when it comes to commerce. People spend most of their time trying to be politicians why missing the advantages derived from commercial activities.

Merging of taraku mills, tomato factory and all agricultural related industries with Benue agricultural development cooperation.

This will create a more robust cooperation which can now sell most of its shares to the public and open the door for multi-nationals to come in and invest big, also providing employment for many benue youths with improved cooperate salary structure. It will provide a breeding ground for future leaders in private sector of Nigerians economy.

The company can still be charge with packaging of fresh agricultural produce for sell in Nigerian market and even for export just as Kenya packages flower for export. This will reduce the rate of product decay and loose as seen in tomatoes, oranges, mangoes and other fresh produce.

Bringing a trading platform of Nigerian stock exchange to Benue state.

There are many opportunities provided in this sector of the Nigerian economy that many Benue indigenes don’t know about. These will provide option for most youth to be investors, stock traders, forex traders and allot more. Presently, most Benue youths just want to be politicians.

Building of dry port in makurdi

Benue already has a rail line from rivers to makurdi, building a dry port will not put heavy cost on the state, however, the presence of the port will provide trade opportunities such as import and export of products, bring federal agencies such Nigerian port authority, shipping companies and many more which could create allot of employment with very improved salary structure for many benue youths and beyond.

Source for 15billion bond for Lobi bank

The state has a disadvantage in the banking sector as no Benue indigene to my knowledge is even an executive director in any Nigerian commercial bank or chief executive of a national blue chip company, considering the human resource that the state have with such personalities like Manasseh Denga, Andrew Ayabam and many more.

The state can source for a 15 billion bond, source for local or foreign investors which can provide the other 15 billion to make up 30billion capital base for the bank. The state can leave the management to those investors but can hold chairmanship and other top post in the bank. The state can still retain 50-70% employment stake in the bank. Imagine what these can do to the many unemployed people in Benue state. It can also provide a source of revenue for the state and also a source of funding for the state megaprojects and many more.

Maintain and improve the benue business incubator program (bbi)and make it possible for graduates to use nysc discharge certificates to access loans.

The program should be improved upon. It should be made in such a way that people that don’t have collateral but have bright business ideas can access loans using nysc discharge certificates and other means.

Improve Benue investment and property cooperation.

BIPC can be improved to be a driving force of the private sector in the state. These can be done by improved funding and monitoring. This firm is capable of driving investment in housing, both luxury and low-cost, partnership with other companies by investing or buying stakes in them and many more, also providing employment for many.

EDUCATION

Make COE,S katsina.ala, oju, benue poly, college of agric yandev and caps degree awarding institutions.

The state can convert such institutions to universities with just a little improved funding as done in Ogun state of Nigerian. Also, the CAPS can become an institution that can offer courses to benue people in advanced skills such as fashion design, software design, fabrication, film, arts, music, ICT and many more skills that can help to be self sufficient and self employed.

Also the school of nursing should be affiliated to the Benue state university. This could lead to the school awarding nursing degrees and also provide an improve work force in the health sector. These can also provide a better advantage in their employment and salary structures as presently obtained now.

Again, engineering and technological faculties should be established in Benue higher institutions.

Revitalise school sport programs, clubs and societies, quiz competitions, debates, school arts festivals, science weeks and so on and reward excellence.

Most benue youths now only want to join one cult or the other, the female are also joining all manner of cults which involve even raping most of them by at least nine people and many more vices that teenage youths are been exposed to.

Many believe that as a female, you can only make it by prostitution which they polish as runs or dating a married politician and the males believe that you can only drive range or be successful by been a thug, a cultist or a politician.

Reviving school sports, clubs such as JETS, Press clubs and rewarding excellence will help divert the attention of most of these youths to productive and useful ventures rather than what is currently obtained in the state. Presently, many youths want to be thugs and runs girls because they have grown to see those things been rewarded more than healthy productive ventures.

This can also help develop skills, talents and intellects that the state need to drive the future and also help youths to make good career choices.

Stop capital flight in the state

The major issue of the last administration was capital flight. This is money leaving the state and not coming back.

The present government can check this by awarding contracts to local contractors and business that can equally have foreign technical partners. These locals can invest this money back in the state, creating more employment and generation more revenue for the state.

Separate civil service from politics and reward merit

For me, the recent sacking of local government DGSA,s and treasurers was a wrong move that can give wrong signals to the people.

The government should separate civil service from politics and make it the engine of the state.

Currently in Benue, a principal of a school is considered a political appointment, rather than been on merit. This trend should be checked, if left unchecked can drive the state to a more chaotic position than presently obtained.

People who merit appointment in the civil service should be appointed. Been a governor makes you father of not only your party but father of the whole state.

Thank you sir.

JAMOR

CEO future technologies. & ICT $ FINANCIAL CONSULTANT, Sim Cnsulting and Associates, kabuga Kano state.