Benue State
Official: 17 persons died of ‘strange illness’ in Benue
Seventeen persons were reported to have died of a strange illness ravaging the Okpeilo-Otukpa area in the Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State. The State Government in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Health and Human Service, Dr Emmanuel Ikwulono, said, “At the time of the receipt of the report yesterday, 9th November, 2020, about 17 persons were already said to have died of the illness. “We currently have one case which was brought to Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi by a relative of the patient. Others are receiving treatment in different hospitals.” The commissioner, in the statement signed by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Andrew Amee, said symptoms of the illness usually include fever, abdominal pain, and general body weakness, whil...
NiMet predicts hazy, sunny weather activities Monday to Wednesday
Facebook Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet) has predicted hazy, sunny weather activities from Monday to Wednesday across the country. NiMet’s weather outlook released on Sunday predicted dust haze conditions over the northern region with a moderate visibility range of 2KM to 5KM throughout the forecast period on Monday. According to it, the North central region is expected to be in sunny and hazy condition throughout the forecast period. “The inland and coastal cities of the South are expected to be in partly cloudy to cloudy condition with slim prospects of thunderstorms over Rivers, Cross River, Eket and Bayelsa in the morning hours. “There are prospects of few thunderstorms over parts of Cross River, Ebonyi, Delta, Awka, Rivers, Delta, Cross River, Benin and Lagos state during the a...
Senate faults minister for blaming legislature for bad roads
The Senate has described as, “fallacy of the highest order,” a statement credited to the Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), on the state of Nigerian roads. Fashola, according to the red chamber, had alleged that the National Assembly members should be held responsible for the poor state of the federal roads in Benue State. The upper chamber accused the Minister of trying to incite members of the public against the federal lawmakers by his allegation. The Senate stated this in a statement by its spokesperson, Dr. Ajibola Basiru, titled, “Senate debunks Minister’s claim on budgetary allocations to road construction,” issued in Abuja on Sunday. The red chamber said it took exception to the statement credited to Fashola, that the National Assembly should be held respon...
Nigeria to spend N75 billion on youth development in three years – minister
Minister for Special Duties and Intergovernmental Relations, Senator George Akume, said the Buhari-led Federal Government plans to spend N75 billion on youth development in form of support for communities, skill acquisition and realisation of their potentials within the next three years. Akume, who spoke during a youth rally in Makurdi, said for the year 2020, N12.5billion would be committed to the programme. He explained that the Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved the funding and commended Benue youths for conducting themselves peacefully during the EndSARS protests. The former Benue State governor and senator said the Federal Government has approved the dualisation of Keffi-Lafia-Makurdi-Otukpo-9th Mile road; the rehabilitation of Makurdi-Gboko-Katsina Ala road, as well as...
Disquiet in South-West PDP as ex-Governor Fayose meets national chairman
There is disquiet in the South-West Zone of the Peoples Democratic Party following the decision of a former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, to lead a delegation of state party chairmen from the zone to hold secret talks with the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus. It was gathered in Abuja on Friday that the meeting, held in the Abuja residence of Secondus on Monday, raised a lot of concerns among party members in the zone. State party chairmen who were at the meeting included those of Lagos, Ogun, Osun and Ekiti. Although the meeting was held behind closed doors, it was gathered that ongoing dispute over the control of the party structure by contending forces in the zone, especially in Ekiti State, formed the main crux of the meeting. A top-ranking party member of the party privy t...
Benue governor canvasses return to parliamentary system
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has called for a parliamentary system of government as a more cost-effective democratic alternative for Nigeria. While inaugurating the State Constitution Review Committee in Markudi, Ortom said, the parliamentary system provides opportunities for power-sharing such that smaller parties also participate in governance, stressing that it is more accountable and considerably less complex. According to the Governor, the current system of federalism where the Federal Government has constitutional powers in nearly 100 per cent performance while states and local governments only function 30 per cent or less is a distortion of the spirit and practice of federalism. He said that Nigeria needed a constitution that sets out a system in which the various tiers could s...
Benue honours Super Falcons star Francisca Ordega
Benue State government has bestowed its honour on her illustrious daughter, Super Falcons star, Francisca Ordega. Ordega was honoured as the Most Outstanding Female Footballer in the state. The award was organised by Benue Coalition for Good governance. Congratulations to me… I am honored for being recognized by my people of Benue state…as the Most Outstanding Female Footballer in Benue State…The award was organized by Benue Coalition for Good governance..proudly Benue/Tiv..thanking you all🙏🏼🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/hjsP6qIhaL — ordega francisca (@OrdegaF) August 24, 2020 Ordega is however overwhelmed with this honour as she stated on her twitter handle: ‘Proudly Benue/Tiv..thanking you all🙏🏼🙏🏼’ Ordega has been forced to postpone he...
Former PDP national chairman decamps to APC
File Photo Senator Barnabas Gemade of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, has again decamped to the All Progressives Congress, APC. Gemade, who was the candidate of the SDP in the last general election has dumped the party in a low key ceremony at the weekend in his village, Gemade Village, Mbajov, Mbawar Council Ward of Konshisha Local Government Area of Benue State. Gemade, a former National Chairman of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, dumped the APC for the SDP shortly before the 2019 general election. He contested for the Benue North-East senatorial district but lost to the incumbent Senator Gabriel Suswam. Speaking at the ceremony, the former lawmaker said he “returned to APC after a due consultations with the leadership of the party at the national, state, local and w...
Troops arrest killer of Benue monarch
File Photo Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), on Thursday, reportedly arrested the killer of a Benue State traditional ruler, Chief Awua Alabar. Alabar, a district head of Kundav, was murdered by gunmen on July 21, 2020, at his residence in Ukum Local Government Area (LGA) of the state. Newsmen gathered that a criminal kingpin, known as Asaaghar Igye in Zaki Biam, Ukum LGA, allegedly linked to the traditional ruler, was captured by troops of OPWS who have been ridding the area of criminal elements in recent times. Sources in Makurdi told newsmen that the soldiers, on Thursday morning, responded to a distress call from villagers on sighting Igye, who was fingered in the assassination of the traditional head. The sources added that the troops responded to the distress call in search of...
Benue health commissioner resigns
The Benue State Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr. Sunday Ongbabo, has resigned his position. Dr. Ongbabo until his resignation also doubled as the Secretary of the State Action Committee on COVID-19. His resignation was announced Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information, Culture, and Tourism, Mrs. Ngunan Addingi, at the end of the weekly State Executive Council meeting presided over by Governor Samuel Ortom. According to the Information Commissioner, Dr. Ongbabo resigned on his in terms of duly informing the Governor of his decision to quit his position. “Dr. Ongbabo disclosed that he was resigning for personal reasons and not in connection with any problems whatsoever. And Governor Ortom wished him well in his future endeavors,” Mrs. Addingi said. The Information Commis...
Troops kill kidnap kingpin, rescue 32 hostages in Benue
Troops of Operation Whirl Stroke have killed a notorious kidnap kingpin, Zwa Ikyegh, at Tomayin village in Logo LGA of Benue State. The soldiers also rescued 32 hostages held captive for over a month. The Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Maj. Gen. John Enenche, in a statement on Friday, said that the operation was carried out on Thursday. It said that some suspected kidnappers escaped with gunshot wounds. The statement read, “Following credible intelligence on the activities of a notorious kidnap syndicate operating in the general area of Igbom village in Nenzev council ward of Logo LGA, troops of Sector 2 and 4, on July 16 carried out a raid operation on a suspected kidnappers den at Tomayin village in Logo LGA of Benue State. “The gallant troops responded with superior fire forcing...
EFCC docks Benue deputy speaker, clerk for alleged N5 million fraud
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Deputy Speaker of Benue State House of Assembly, Christopher Adaji, and the Clerk of the house, Torese Agena, before Justice S. O. Itodo, of the Benue State High Court, Makurdi, for their complicity in an alleged fraud totalling N5, 040,950 (Five Million, Forty Thousand, Nine Hundred and Fifty Naira only). They were arraigned on two-count charges bordering on conspiracy, bribery, criminal breach of trust and abuse of office. They pleaded not guilty when the charges were read to them. Counts one read: “That you, Torese Agena, on 18th day of October, 2019 being Clerk, Benue State House of Assembly, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did use your position to confer unfair advantage to yourself as bribe, to the tu...
