Benue Gov to pay N1bn counterpart fund to ease rural roads

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has said that the state government will soon pay its  counterpart fund of about N1 billion to enhance the development of construction of rural roads to ease transportation of farm produce to urban centres.

The governor also said that his administration would continue to support initiatives aimed at invigorating and promoting indigenous stimulants/medicinal plants in the agricultural sector for the overall economic and social development of the country.

Ortom stated this during opening ceremony of the 5th International Conference on Africa’s Indigenous/Medicinal Plants (ICAIS-S), holding in Makurdi, Benue State capital.

According to the governor: “We are determined to arrangements with the National Office of Rural Access and Agricultural Marketing Project for participation to enhance the development and construction of 347 kilometres of Rural Roads at the cost of $39,442,941.4, an equivalent of N33,733,836,274.80 (Thirty-Three Billion, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Three Million, Eight Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand, Two Hundred and Seventy-Four Naira, Eighty Kobo).

“This is intended to ease the movement of farm produce across the State for the benefit of our rural farmers. The State Government is to pay the Counterpart Fund of $2,600,000, an equivalent of N938,626,000.00 (Nine Hundred and Thirty Eight Million, Six Hundred and Twenty-Six Thousand Naira) for which we have concluded arrangements to off-set.

The governor who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Terwase Orbunde, said that harnessing the economic potentials of various indigenous stimulants would improve the economy of the State

The governor lamented that Nigeria was yet to make a significant mark in the export of the Indigenous Stimulants in the International Market, this he said has reduced the production and processing of plants that are multi-billion businesses in the International Market.

He noted that markets exist for both Primary and Secondary Raw Materials, including the value added products derived from these plants.

The guest speaker at the occasion, Dr Charles Ainadou, stated that all indigenous stimulants such as kolanut, Walnuts, Bitterkola, Moringa and Guinea Pepper, are also used by many people to treat several diseases.

Dr Ainadou who spoke on the topic; the Africa’s Indigenous Medical Plants/ Stimulants Against Incurable Diseases like cancer, prostrate, troubles, HTS, Osteoarthritis, Site-cell revealed that new cases of cancer account for 8.6million death out of 14.1million infected with cancer worldwide.