News Updates From Benue State.

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has charged herders and farmers in the state to sustain the peace the state has enjoyedsince his assumption of office.He spoke at a meeting with the two groups and traditional rulers held at the Benue peoples House in Makurdi today.Delegations came from Taraba and Nasarawa states.

Governor Ortom stated that he was committed to promoting peace in the state because it was the prerequisite for development.He said no one in parts of the world including Nigeria's North East, Syria, and Afghanistan, is comfortable with the developments
in the areas.According to him his administration would go after criminal elements among the two groups in order to curb crime in the state.
He said he was employing the carrot and stick approach to tackle crime in the state.
Governor Ortom disclosed that the Inspector General of Police has agreed to increase the number of police personnel in thestate to boost security operations adding that he preferred to use the conventional security forces rather than militias.
He stated that he had planned that the novelty match played between herders and farmers played in Anyiin be replicated in Makurdi in the presence of several dignitaries including other state governors across the country but had to shift it forward.
Various speakers among the groups including Alhaji Usman Doka, James Nungwa, Nyiutsa Ankyungugh, John Olotu, Garba Bello,and Wakili Abdullahi blamed criminal elements for the crises and pledged support for peace.Ter Logo, Chief Jimmy Meeme drew attention to the plight of displaced people and those returning to their destroyedcommunities who have no food and seedlings with which to commence the next farming season and requested assistance forthem.All the speakers urged Governor Ortom to sustain and deepen the peace efforts.



UNICEF AND DFID DONATES HILUX VANS AND MOTORCYCLES TO OBI,KATSINA-ALA AND BURUKU L.G.As OF BENUE STATE

The united Nations. International children's emergency fund(UNICEF) and the Department for internation development(DFID) Today donated a hilux van each to Obi, Katsina-ala and Buruku Local Government Areas of Benue state.

The Hilux vans and motorcycles are to be used in the implementation of the"Sanitation, Hygiene,and water in Nigeria" shawn 2 Project.
Governor samuel ortom took delivery of the Hilux and Motorcycles onbehalf of the three Local Governments and thanked both UNICEF and the DFID for the Hilux Vans and motorcycles and it's role in Benue state.
The Governor charged the chairmen to use the Vans and motorcycles for the purpose they were meant for.
He immediately handed over the Hilux vans, motorcycles and it's keys to the local Government chairmen of Obi, Buruku and Katsina-ala Local Governments who were present at the presentation at the Benue peoples house.

PAY BSU TECHNICAL SCHOOL STAFF THREE MONTHS' SALARY - ORTOM ORDERS

Succor came the way of staff of the Benue State University Science and Technical College today when Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, ordered the state Finance Commissioner to pay them three months' salary.
He ordered that the May, June, and July 2015, salaries of the affected staff be paid with immediate effect.
The Governor gave the directive when the staff, led by the principal of the school, Athanasius Awangeh, paid him a courtesy call.
They complained of the non payment of their salaries since July, 2010.
"It's not fair that you've not be paid for all these years because the worker deserves his wages," Governor Ortom stated.
"I thank God for sustaining you inspite of nonpayment of salaries," and directed that a minute's silence be observed for those who lost their lives as a result of the development.
He promised to clear the backlog when the financial fortunes of the state improved.
Earlier, Mr Awangeh had informed the Governor that all the 72 staff of the school had not been paid salaries since July, 2010 for no justifiable reason.
He stated that they had gone to court and obtained consent judgement directing that their salaries and emoluments be paid to no avail hence their appeal to the Governor.
"Because of the above, some of our members have died from stress related illnesses, others are sick and cannot afford medical treatment, our children are out of school," he disclosed.
BY: Tahav Agerzua



ORTOM INAUGURATES TWO PROBE PANELS

Governor Samuel Ortom yesterday inaugurated two commissions of inquiry into the receipt and utilization of funds by the immediate past administration as well as sale and lease of government assets.
In his address at the occasion he disclosed that the objectives of the commissions were not to witch hunt anyone but rather to set the records straight.
According to him the commissions were necessitated by the desire of the electorate to know why the state had come to its present situation.
“We are fully aware that we hold this mandate in trust for the people who desire to know what transpired before we came into office and why the state has been brought to the brink,” Governor Ortom stressed.
“We have already pledged to ensure compliance with the rule of law and due process in the conduct of government business and this will also apply to the work of the commissions.”
According to him “as we inquire into the past, officials of my administration must note that one day their work may also be put under scrutiny hence the need to live above board.”
The Governor who stated that members of the committee were carefully selected based on merit, enjoined them to discharge their duties creditably with the fear of God.He announced that the commissions had six months within which to submit their reports.
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the receipt and disbursement of funds has Justice Elizabeth Kpojime as Chairman, Michael Agber, Lead Counsel, and Sekegh Akaa as Secretary with Joe Abaagu, Rev. Professor Francis Wegh, Dr Christopher Ebute and Jacob Mulya as members.
Its terms of reference include identification of all revenue sources and total amount of revenue which accrued to the State from June 2007 to May this year, ascertain how much funds were received from federation account, internally generated revenue, excess crude account, ecological and Sure-P funds.
It is to also ascertain the shares and stock owned by the state government in Dangote Cement Company, Julius Berger, Benue Brewery and other companies, the Millennium Develop Goals, MDG among others.
The sale and lease of government assets Commission of Inquiry has Moses Atagher as Chairman and Andrew Amee, Secretary while Ngutor Anyam, Omale Omale, Professor Moses Ogbaji and Moses Aiki, a representative of Commissioner of Police, as members.
Its terms of reference are to identify all government property sold and leased since June, 2007, determine the status and actual value of such property at the time of sale, identify the purchasers of such property to determine improvement made, review transactions and advise government on the appointments and actions in the interest of the people among others.
In separate responses, Mrs. Elizabeth Kpojime and Moses Atagher both pledged to be upright and transparent in discharging their functions and commended the Governor for finding them worthy for the assignment.


ORTOM DONATES LAND TO NHIS

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has approved the allocation of land to the National Health Insurance Scheme to construct its permanent office in the state.
He also set up a committee to ensure compliance with the relevant packages offered by the scheme.
Governor Ortom took the action today when a delegation from the national headquarters of the organization, led by the acting Executive Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Akingbade, visited him at the Benue Peoples House, in Makurdi.
The Governor directed the Commissioner of Health and Special Adviser on Lands and Survey to liaise with the NHIS and ensure that the demands of the organization were met as soon as possible.
He promised that his administration would key into programs of the Scheme, saying the health needs of people of the state were one of the top agenda of his administration.
Governor Ortom reiterated his commitment to collaboration with development partners in order to add value to service delivery in the state. According to him he demonstrated the commitment by making the provision of N5. 5 billion for the payment of counterpart funding in the supplementary budget he submitted to the State House of Assembly.Earlier, Acting Executive Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Akingbade had requested for a plot of land on which to build a model office for the scheme in the state.
He disclosed that the scheme had developed a draft framework on support strategies which could be forwarded to the State House of Assembly for consideration and possible passage into law.
Governor Ortom also received officials of the National Business and Technical Examinations Board, NABTEB, during which he appealed to the people of the state particularly youths to embrace science and technical education.
He said that brand of education would help them acquire skills that could make them self-sustaining.
The Governor urged the Ministry of Education to liaise with NABTEB officials with the objective of attaining the goals of the examination body.
Earlier, the State Coordinator, Mr. Justin Iyortyer decried the low patronage in the state and appealed to the Governor to prevail on the state Ministry of Education to make it mandatory for Junior Secondary School, JSS, three students to sit for the board's examinations annually.