Governor Samuel Ortom
The Special Adviser on Projects Monitoring and Evaluation, Alhaji Isah Usman, has disclosed that the Samuel Ortom administration was executing over 1000 projects in the various sectors across Benue State. He made the disclosure at various places during the ongoing flag-off of rural electrification, roads and bridges projects in several local government areas across the state.
According to him the projects were being executed through the State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, various ministries, departments and agencies, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals conditional grant schemes.
The Special Adviser explained that SUBEB alone was carrying out facelift and other projects in 710 primary schools across the state, adding that the committee on their monitoring had a hectic time supervising.
Last Monday, members of the state executive council participated in the flagging off exercises In Gboko, Vandeikya, Kwande, and Ushongo local government areas. They included extension of electricity from Akaajime to Takema Memorial College in Ipav, Gboko, Mbaakon to Ihugh feeder road in Vandeikya, extension of electricity from Adikpo to Mbaiwen and Ajio to Kpengwa in Kwande, extension of electricity from Ushongo to Kpor and Manor, Abado, Hiitom, Sati, Ude as well as Tse-Ikyange in Ushongo.
Alhaji Usman advised the contractors to deliver quality jobs according to specification and other contract terms and the communities to give them support and protection.
His colleague on Labor and Employment, Barrister Patricia Kupchi, directed contractors to engage the youths in the various localities in the execution of the projects while assuring that with the Ortom administration projects had moved from “hearsay to eye see.”
Stakeholders from the benefiting communities expressed gratitude for the projects pledging not to demand compensation and to safeguard them. They included the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr Terkimbi Ikyange, second class traditional ruler in Ushongo, Chief Ambrose Iyortyer, as well as Special Adviser on Agro Business, Mr Simon Abua.
They however appealed for the boosting of existing electricity projects, as well as construction of more rural roads and the rehabilitation of others. The permanent secretary in the Bureau of Rural Development and Cooperatives, Mr David Ishegh, advised communities to form cooperatives in order to access support from the state and Federal Governments.
Governor Ortom, represented by his Special Adviser on Rural Development and Cooperatives, Dr Adzer Abya, stated that the projects were executed with N1.8 billion set aside from the infrastructure facility obtained from the Federal Government.
He said they were in line with one of the five pillars of the Ortom administration which was the provision of critical infrastructure.
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