Federal Lawmaker dissociates self from suit. (Press Release).

Hon Member representing Vandeikya/Konshisha Federal Constituency,Hon Dorothy Mato has dissociated her self from a suit filed against the Hon Speaker,Yakubu Dogara by Fidelis Ahangba Angweh.
The suit which was filed by a legal practitioner ,Barr Mike Utsaha Esq a Solicitor of the Supreme Court on the 31st of November 2017 on behalf of Fidelis Ahangbah Angweh who claims to be a member of her constituency was filed against the Hon Speaker House Of Reps,Hon Yakubu Dogara.
In a press release signed by a Legislative Aide to the Honourable Member, Lynda Adzuanagah Esq,The said suit was filed to correct an injustice and the failure to swear Honourable Dorothy Mato into the House of Representatives as directed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria which resulted in the violation of the Fundamental Human Rights of the said Ahangba.


Find below details of the Press Release as sent by the Office of the Hon Member......

PRESS RELEASE BY HONOURABLE DOROTHY MATO PURSUANT TO A SUIT FILED AGAINST THE HONOURABLE SPEAKER YAKUBU DOGARA BY FIDELIS AHANGBA ANGWEH

The attention of Honourable Dorothy Kpentomun Mato, Member Representing Vandeikya/ Konshisha Federal Constituency has been drawn to a court process filed on the 31st of November 2017 filed by Mike Utsaha Esq a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Nigeria on behalf of his client a certain Fidelis Ahangba Angweh who claims to be a constituent of Honourable Mato's.
The said suit is said to be filed to correct an injustice; the failure to swear Honourable Dorothy Mato into the House of Representatives as directed by the Supreme Court of Nigeria which has resulted in the violation of the Fundamental Human Rights of the said Ahangba.

It is pertinent to set evidential background to clear the air on this matter.
Sometime in August 2017, the same legal practitioner, filed an action on the same subject matter and joined Honourable Mato as a party. Indeed, this legal action, served as part of the delay in the swearing of Honourable Mato as the Speaker was willing to allow all legal actions to be exhausted before he would administer the oath of office on her.


The timely, proactive and spontaneous reaction of Honourable Mato by drawing the attention of His Excellency the Governor of Benue State, Dr Samuel Ortom who quickly intervened and reached out to the lawyer, appealing to him to withdraw the matter which they did by filing a notice of discontinuance was what averted another long and arduous legal expedition. Copies of the notice of discontinuance were sent to the office of Honourable Mato which same was sent to the office of the Honourable Speaker and all members of the House of Representatives from Zones A and B of Benue State.


It would interest members of the public to know that in all of this, the said Ahangba never reached out, sought the opinion nor ever communicated with the Honourable Member in the course of filing this case. Honourable Mato neither knows nor has ever come in contact with the said Applicant. If indeed he was fighting her cause, why has he never bothered to reach out to her to know the true situation of the matter? Seeing that the entirety of this case is premised on her not being sworn in.


His current cause of action which doesn't join her as a party but yet, uses her matter to buttress his case reeks of mischief, double dealing and malice aforethought.


We are convinced beyond every shadow of doubt that the cause of action is premised on mischief for the fact that if Ahangba claims to be an aggrieved and deprived constituent, he ought to have kept himself abreast of the happenings and should have known that Honourable Dorothy Kpentomun Mato sworn in by the Honourable Speaker of the House of Representatives Rt Honourable Yakubu Dogara on the 3rd of October 2017 at 11:35 am, three weeks before the filing of his matter.


Ahangba makes his case suspicious because for him to claim to have heard from online sources that Honourable Dorothy Mato had twice presented herself for swearing in, but was unaware that she had presented herself and was sworn-in, can only be the workings of a mischievous and sinister person as the social media and electronic and print media were awash with the news of her being sworn in after so long.

One would expect an applicant with such grievances before a court to have his ears to the ground as regards the very soul and crux of his matter, yet Ahangba claims and feigns ignorance of this epic event.It is therefore necessary to make the following declarations;
1. That Honourable Dorothy Kpentomun Mato disassociates herself in totality from the suit and indeed any such suit in existence or anywhere else for that matter. Having endured the travails of litigation, she is neither interested in being roped into any flimsy, unnecessary, frivolous or mischievous litigation aimed at earning cheap publicity and political points.



2. That recently, Honourable Mato was a part of a delegation of Members of the House of Representatives from Benue to the President and Commander in chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal of Republic of Nigeria President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR to complain about the current crisis in Benue State resulting in numerous deaths and destruction of property on account of attacks on farming communities by suspected herdsmen. This visit was widely publicized, this gets one wondering if Ahangba lives under a rock as that would be only plausible reason he would claim to be unaware of this widely broadcasted event as she clearly stood out as the only woman and the one who read the speech on behalf of the group.


3. That Honourable Dorothy Mato has since settled into the House of Representatives and enjoys a good relationship with her colleagues and the tremendous goodwill of the Honourable Speaker who magnanimously ensured that she inherited all the committees previously held by the erstwhile ousted Member.
He further co-opted her to other committees as well and she since commenced carrying on her legislative duties as diligently as possible both in her committees and on the floor of the House of Representatives.If Ahangba is truly a constituent of the Vandeikya / Konshisha Federal Constituency, he should not be unaware of the giant strides taken by Honourable Mato since becoming a member of the House of Representatives only a few months ago, his supposed or deliberate ignorance fuels the suspicion of his identity as a constituent or the actor of a badly written script.



4. That Ahangba is crying more than the bereaved as the bereaved have since moved on, wiped their tears and come to terms with reality but Ahangba seems to either be oblivious of the current trend of events or is feigning ignorance to carry out the dictates of political detractors who are yet to come to terms with the fact that Honourable Dorothy Kpentomun Mato is a valid and bona-fide member of the House of Representatives.



5. That Honourable Dorothy Kpentomun Mato is focused on supporting and participating in the passage of good laws that will benefit her constituents and not interested in the distractions of frivolous court cases by faceless and overzealous constituents and no effort to distract or deter her from this laudable cause will be successful.
Thank you.

Lynda Adzuanaga Esq
Legislative Assistant to Honourable Dorothy Kpentomun Mato.

THE RANCH REVOLUTION: Gov Samuel Ortom has started ranching his cattle. PICTURE

A ranch is an area of land, including various structures, given primarily to the practice of ranching, the practice of raising grazing livestock such as cattle or sheep for meat or wool.The anti-open grazing law recently signed by Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom is a win-win situation for both farmers and cattle rearers.
1. It is a fact that ranched cattle grow fatter and produce more milk and beef.
2. Ranches produce healthier livestock
3. Ranched cattle are safer from rustling and other forms of attacks
4. Ranching frees the land for farming and other agricultural activities
5. Ranching prevents crops from destruction caused by open cattle grazing
6. Ranching creates market for those who grow grass for sale to owners of ranches
7. Ranching prevents clashes between herders and farmers which often result in killing of innocent people and destruction of property
* The above benefits are some of the major factors/reasons Benue has embraced ranching.
Governor Samuel Ortom (seen in the attached picture feeding cattle) is leading by example.
Are you ready for the Ranch Revolution?



Source Terver Akase

Group Threatens To Drag Benue Govt To Court Over Airport Contract, Says Project A Conduit Pipe To Siphone Money

Benue Elite Development Network has accused the Benue state governor, Samuel Ortom of using the proposed Benue Airport as a conduit pipe to siphone tax payers money.

The group therefore threatened to drag the state government and the consortium handling the project, saying the consortium is not registered anywhere in the world.
Addressing journalists, the Public Relations Officer of the network, Omaga Elachi Daniel,‎ said besides the project is completely ill-timed, and the government ill-advised by people whose only intention is to advance their self-serving interest.

He said, for one thing, the state is bereft of funds, while expressing shock at where a state struggling to pay salary will source $5.7 billion to fund a project that has no direct economic relevance to the common man.

Read full speech:

My attention was drawn by a very good friend last week to a very disturbing news, which I dismissed as a mere rumor, until my advocacy instinct prompted me to find out the authenticity of this news, which I did. And to my chagrin, the news was confirmed shortly afterward by the progenitor himself, the Executive Governor of Benue state. Which he referred to as “good news” for the state. Although it sounds good a news to hear, in my subconscious, the news keeps giving me bad vibes! The Benue State Government has concluded plans to partner with a private consortium to construct a cargo airport.

They call it a public private partnership driven project; I call it the proverbial white elephant project. This is just another conduit to siphon money in a country like Nigeria. The deal with the Cargo Polis Development Consortium will see the company fund 85percent of the project, amounting to about #32.3 billion through the chinese nexim bank, while the state government will fund the remaining 15percent, which will amount to about #5.7 billion. Great deal right? Let’s shake hands and sing praise to God. But we can’t and we shouldn’t, and I’ll tell you what the hullabaloo is about. The project is completely ill-timed, and the government ill-advised by people whose only intention is to advance their self-serving interest. For one thing, the state is bereft of funds. And if the following indicators do not buttress this point, then I sincerely don’t know what will:

1. The state’s capacity to generate revenue internally is placed at #250 million monthly, but burdened with a monthly recurrent expenditure of about #7.8 billion.
2. Schools, roads and primary health care centres are poorly funded, and in dilapidated state.
3. Suspension of the conduct of local government elections for lack of funds.
4. Backlog of workers salaries. e.g February salary paid in august.
5. Reduction of workers salary in a period of economic hardship.

The real crux of the matter is not about our economic state, but the ripple effect or backlash that is going to come out of undertaking such a project. For me, it is akin to a father who wants to acquire a big flat screen television and expecting his children to enjoy watching it without food in their bellies. The government has decided to build a cargo airport to export agricultural produce in large quantities from the state. This begs the following questions;

1. Has the consumption rate of the local population for these farm produce been satisfied?
2. How affordable are these produce to the common man?
3. Has the government created an enabling environment for the farmers to produce without fear of being attacked by Fulani herdsmen?
4. Can farmers in the state readily assess the state’s subsidized fertilizers?
Truth of the matter is, a farmer who engages in subsistence agriculture and then decides to sell what he has produced for monetary gain has only one thing in mind; to starve his family and dependants to death. If the government still insists on embarking on this project, it can only spell doom for the state. And I’ll tell you where the road will eventually lead to. “Hunger Street”, that’s where.

The analysis is quite simple. If the state has been able to produce what is to the capitalist, the “surplus”, how will it be able to generate its “surplus value”? It is only tantamount to shortening the rations meant for local consumption. This can only lead to hike in prices. Sooner or later, indigenes will no longer be able to afford that which they have produced, or worst still become alienated from that which they have labored for. Government should start thinking in terms of the implications of their programmes and policies on the masses. What the state needs now, are policies that are people-oriented. Benue state has the capacity to feed the whole nation if its resources are being tapped to its fullest potentials.

A responsible government at this time of recession should be focusing on how to alleviate the sufferings of the masses through policies that offer palliatives and alternative sources of generating income. Instead of undertaking projects that will further exacerbate the sufferings of the already suffering masses.

Ortom Begins rehabilitation of Makurdi Street Lights. Photos

Makurdi Street Lights come come alive soon...Contractors were seen earlier today,monday 7th 2016 on duty replacing  bad lamps on all street lights in the state capital.This will help curb crime in the city.See more pictures

Photo credit : Sir Nathaniel Ikyur

Benue workers threaten strike over non-payment of salary

The organized labour in Benue state has issued a one week ultimatum to the state government to immediately pay workers the April, 2016 salary or risk industrial action.read more

Message to Governor Samuel Ortom, Benue youth are tired of menial jobs in the cities — Dzever

A concerned Benue youth and graduate of the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Master Terwase Dzever in a message to Gov. Samuel Ortom of Benue State has advised the man of God to act fast else he would be left with trees and animals to govern saying Benue youth are tired of doing dehumanizing jobs in Abuja and other cities across the country.read more

Benue farmers get N100m cassava production input.

As part of efforts to grow annual food production in the country, over N100 million worth of input have been distributed free to selected Benue farmers to boost cassava production in the state. 

Among items distributed by the International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, Value Chain Development Programme, VCDP, to the benefiting farming groups were bags of fertilizers, herbicides among others. Flagging off the presentations at Ogbadibo, Okpokwu and Guma Local Government areas, Benue IFAD-VCDP State Project Coordinator, Mr. Emmanuel Igbaukum said each of the benefiting farmers will receive two litres of herbicides from the organisation at no cost. 

He said aside the contribution of his organisation to boost cassava cultivation in the state, each of the 2,500 benefiting farmers, through their cluster groups, would also receive same quantity of counterpart support from the state government. In his speech, Benue State Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. James Anbua, cautioned the benefiting farmers against diverting the input, warning that the state government would not hesitate to take punitive measures against defaulters.

PDP berates Ortom for ‘erasing’ Suswam’s legacies after plaque at BSUTH was removed and destroyed.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has chided Governor Samuel Ortom for allegedly “erasing” the face and identity of his predecessor, Gabriel Suswam, from projects he (Suswam) executed during his tenure in office as governor.read more

Stop lamenting, pay workers’ salaries, Benue elders tell Ortom

ELDERS in Benue State have called on Governor Samuel Ortom to stop lamenting his government’s inability to meet the yearnings of the citizenry but to look for ways of proffering solutions to problems facing the state.
read more

Benue State moves to borrow billions of naira to clear unpaid workers salaries.

The Benue State Government and the joint labour unions in the state have agreed to further borrow billions of Naira to clear unpaid workers’ salaries in the state.read more

Wyte Image Media unveils nominees list for 2016 Benue Profile Award....[Start voting now.]

The nominees for the 2016 Benue Profile Awards have been announced,spanning Personality,Media,Humanitarian,Entrepreneurship,Fashion,Music,Innovation , comic and pageant categories. The Benue Profile award seeks to celebrate hard work and redefine standards.
Here is the full list of nominees.Continue to see.read more

Photos from the Epic visit of Dr Paul Enenche and his wife Dr Becky Enenche to Agatu.

Dr Enenche arrived Agatu today along with his wife, members of the Dunamis church and a medical team.He donated relief materials food items and medical supplies to the IDPs.Dr Enenche also conducted an open sermon in the camp with praise and worship and anointed the displaced persons and  the traditional head in the area..See more pictures.

read more

Wailing #Wailers Stop Wailing, Buhari doesn’t have to visit Agatu, Boko Haram victims-Adesina:

Femi Adesina, special adviser on media and publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari, says the president does not have to visit victims of Boko Haram onslaught or herdsmen massacre.
read more

''BENUE, A Divided People''- Emmanuel Eche-Ofun John.

On Wednesday, the day a protest was billed to hold in Makurdi, the Benue state capital, against the mindless killings by suspected Fulani Herdsmen, I woke up with high hopes and expectation.
read more

Ortom Sues For Peace At Easter.Read His Easter Message To Benue People.

My dear people of Benue State,
I greet you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ whose death and resurrection we celebrate as Easter.
For Christians all over the world, the major lessons of Easter are found in our Lord's immeasurable love and glorious self-sacrifice for the redemption of mankind.
read more

Photos From The Traditional Marriage Of The Daughter Of Benue State SSG Barr Targema Takema.#Nigeriaweddings

SSG His wife and couple

Benue state SSG Barr Tagema Takema  gave out his daughter Doose Targema-Takema in marriage yesterday 26 March 2016 in a traditional ceremony,The ceremony which took place at The Takema family compound, Akaajime, Mkar Road, Gboko was witnessed by dignitaries including Sen George Akume amongst others.The white wedding comes up at the Family Worship Centre Abuja on the 2nd of April, 2016. continue to see more pictures
read more

Profile Magazine Unveils Personalities To Cover The 5th Edition + Categories For Benue Profile Award 2016 For Middle Belt.

Whyte Image Media is set to drop the latest edition of Profile magazine,this edition will feature Hon Benjamin Adanyi,Majority Leader of the BSHOA and the Tax Amazon ,Mimi Adzape Orubibi,Chairman BIRS.Here is a peak into their lives.
read more