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Tag: Benson Abounu

  • Herdsmen: FG begins construction of affected communities

    Governor Samuel Ortom on Tuesday, flagged off the reconstruction of some selected destroyed public infrastructure in some communities affected by the attacks by herdsmen in Benue State.

    The Governor called on the federal government to address head-on, the problem of insecurity that gave rise to the killings of people and destruction of public and private properties.

    Governor Ortom, who flagged-off the long-awaited work reconstruction work at the Comprehensive Health Centre, Gbajimiba, one of the 28 projects to be reconstructed in the state by the federal government in partnership with the Benue State government, called on President Muhammadu Buhari not to hurriedly stop the work of “operation whirl stroke” but rather, to empower the military more to eliminate the threat of attacks on the communities.

    He also adversed the federal government as a matter of urgency restore the needed peace and stability that would lead to the return of the internally displaced people to their homes. .

    Represented by his deputy, Engr. Benson Abounu, Governor Ortom expressed delight at the response by the Victims Support Fund (VSF) led by Gen. Yakubu Danjuma (rtd) to his request for help in reconstructing the damaged public and private infrastructures

    He demanded that the work, expected to be carried out in 21 communities, spread over Guma, Logo and Agatu local government areas in the first instance will reach other communities affected by the attacks.

    Read Also: Ortom restates call for Intelligence gathering

    While appreciating the VSF for the 5 Health Clinics to be built in the state, Governor Ortom appealed to them to also provide the required equipment to enable the State government take over their running.

    The Executive Director, VSF, Prof Sunday Ochoche disclosed that on the basis of the request for assistance by Governor Ortom, and an assessment visit to the state in March, the Committee approved the construction of 23 classroom blocks and 5 comprehensive medical centers in the 3 local government areas.

    He stated that the projects, which cost N700m are expected to be completed within 3 months and called on the local communities to see them as their own projects and give their support to the contractors to enable them execute the work within the time frame.

    Dr. Magdalene Dura, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Development Cooperation, SDGs and NEPAD, and Rev. Dr Phillip Tachin, Executive Secretary, Benue State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in their separate goodwill messages, thanked the federal government for the intervention, but called for more to be done given the magnitude of the destruction caused in the state.

    The VSF team led by its vice chairman, Tijani Tumsah had earlier paid a courtesy visit on Governor Samuel Ortom before proceeding to Gbajimba.

  • NNPC to select core investor for Benue bio-fuel project – Baru

    NNPC to select core investor for Benue bio-fuel project – Baru

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC ) says it has almost concluded discussion on the choice of a core investor for the proposed bio-fuel plant in Benue.

    The Group Managing Director of the corporation, Dr Maikanti Baru, said this in a statement issued by Mr Ndu Ughamadu, NNPC Group General Manager Public Affairs Division in Abuja on Sunday.

    Baru, after a follow-up meeting with a Benue State delegation led by Dep. Gov. Benson Abounu, said arrangements had been finalised to name the prospective investor in the weeks ahead.

    Represented at the meeting by the Chief Operating Officer, Ventures Directorate, Dr Babatunde Adeniran, Baru explained that the core investor would provide 70 per cent of the required funding for the project.

    According to Baru, the Benue State government and the NNPC will take up the balance equity contribution.

    He said upon completion, the plant was projected to generate about one million direct and indirect jobs for the populace, noting that the project would help link the energy sector with the agricultural sector through the commercial production of bio-fuels from selected energy crops.

    The NNPC boss listed other components of the project to include a sugar cane feedstock plantation of about 20,000 hectares; a cane mill and raw/refined sugar plant capable of producing 126,000 tonnes annually.

    According to him, it also includes a fuel-ethanol processing plant with production capacity of 84 million litres annually.

    “The bio-fuels projects will also help to establish the bio-gas cogeneration power plant which will generate 64 MW; a carbon dioxide recovery and bottling plant that will produce 2, 000 tonnes annually as well as an animal feed plant that will produce 63, 000 tons annually.’’

    The statement also quoted Abonu, Benue deputy governor as saying “Benue State is offering the 20, 000 hectares of irrigable land space along the bank of the river Benue as its equity contribution to the project’’.

    “In addition to a yet to be specified tranche of funds to shore up its stake to the level of directorship in the yet to be constituted board.’’

    Abonu also commended the NNPC on the strides so far recorded, and assured that the state government had since taken concrete measures to sensitise the host communities on the bio-fuel project.

    According to the deputy governor, the state government has also sensitised host communities to ongoing effort by the corporation for fresh hydrocarbon found in the Benue trough.

    NAN

  • Benue to sack, reduce salary to solve non-payment

    Benue to sack, reduce salary to solve non-payment

    The Benue State Government is considering two options to get out of the non-regular payment of workers’ salaries.

    The Deputy Governor of the state, Benson Abounu, who is also the chairman of the screening committee verifying the actual workforce of both the state and local governments, disclosed this at the stakeholders’ meeting held in Government House, Makurdi.

    Abounu, who gave an interim report of his committee to stakeholders on Monday, explained that the committee was faced with the options of reducing workers’ salaries or retrenching some as a possible solution to the non-regular payment of salary in the state.

    The deputy governor noted that his committee discovered several anomalies that could have been responsible for huge wage bill of the state which he puts at N7.8bn monthly.

    Abounu explained that the shift allowance meant for a category of workers on shift duty at the state health management board were being paid.

    The screening committee chairman also said that 7,746 local government workers across the state with a total emolument of N530m were recruited without approval in the past 10 years.

    He said: “Our committee was set up to look at the legitimate earnings of workers both at the state and local governments and several anomalies were found which were contained in our interim report.

    “For instance, at the health management board, shift allowance is meant for only those on shift duty but to our chagrin, we discovered that all members of staff of this board were collecting shift allowance.

    “So also was undue allowances by members of staff in our tertiary institutions, the staffers collect SIWESS allowance every month.

    “At the local government level, when we carried out the screening, many came up with papers which added to 20,976 workforces, the additional figure is 7,746 members of staff and these people were recruited with no approval.”

  • Ortom picks Benson Abounu as running mate

    Ortom picks Benson Abounu as running mate

    •APC reaffirms candidate’s nomination

    Benue State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Samuel Ortom, has picked a former Commissioner for Water Resources in the George Akume administration, Benson Abounu, as his running mate.

    Ortom’s choice came as the party reaffirmed his nomination as its candidate.

    Abounu hails from Otukpo-Icho community in Otukpo Local Government Area, the home of the Senate President David Mark. He is a close ally of former governor and Senate Minority Leader George Akume, who doubles as leader of the party in the state.

    Benue State APC reaffirmed Ortom’s nomination as the party’s governorship candidate in the 2015 election.

    In a statement in Makurdi, the state capital, by APC State Chairman Abba Yaro; Publicity Secretary Baba Ayemti and Organising Secretary Titus Zam, the party said its national headquarters in Abuja had formally forwarded the former Minister of State’s name to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).