Sole administrators to takeover Benue LGAs.

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State


Local Government Areas in Benue State are now to be run by Sole Administrators.The new law came into effect today as the Governor of the State Samuel Ortom signed the amended Local Government Elections Bill passed by the State House of Assembly.
The Bill give the governor the sole rights to appoint asn sack sole administrator who will manage the affairs of the local government areas in the state.
While signing the Bill into law, Gov. Ortom said the new law was a major milestone of his government in overcoming the challenge of funding Local Government elections.

The governor regretted the inability of his administration to conduct Local Government elections, owing to paucity of funds.

He said the state had the challenge of deciding those to manage the Local Government administration after it had exhausted the appointment of caretaker committees and the statutory appointment of Director-General of Service and Administration (DGSAs.)

“The position of the law was that Local Government caretaker chairmen could be appointed after six months and their appointments renewed after which, the DGSAs would be appointed, then elections.”

He regretted that having exhausted all legal avenues, the state was still not buoyant to conduct elections at the Local Government level but needed to run the council administrations.

Ortom, who signed the bill during an APC stakeholders meeting in Makurdi, directed the stakeholders to make nominations of candidates for the positions.

He, however, charged them to ensure that such nominations were based on the current zoning of offices in their localities.

The governor also charged stakeholders to support the administration by sharing with the local populace whatever benefits they received from the government to cushion the effects of the recession.

The governor warned them against primitive accumulation, commending them for heeding his call to take to farming.

Ortom said that agriculture was the only viable option to crude oil, noting that there were opportunities for loans for people interested in agriculture.

The state’s Chairman of the APC, Mr Abba Yaro, said the party conceded to the request of the government to appoint sole administrators but warned those fanning ambers of discord to refrain from such acts.

He said the party would not tolerate acts of insubordination to its hierarchy, assuring that those found contravening party rules would be sanctioned.