Samuel Ortom Redefining Benue State

The present administration came with the mantra of change so, there has been a great expectation for this much desired change. It seems the change is not coming as expected; we should however not forget the rot that had been caused by many years of Military and Civilian maladministration.

It is mostly said that the journey of a thousand kilometers starts with a mile so we could still exercise a little patient. Not left out in this “Change Mantra” is Benue State where the incumbent governor, Samuel Ortom is holding forth.

Ortom as a man of God is said to have put everything on transparency in the state without impunity. His governing the state is with the fear of God and had dedicated it to God from his inception as Governor, doing what he preaches.

Governance today is facing a lot of difficult challenges ranging from state of the Economy, Insecurity, Joblessness; terrorism which is a global phenomenon, that monster called corruption which we are told by the present administration must be fought to a standstill and a certain Senator from Kaduna state said it cannot be fought with the use of Insecticide for some persons and some with Deodorants when it affects some so called blessed ones, and some other social ills that has consumed us as a Nation.

With the allegation of using Insecticides and Deodorants’,  the EFCC and other anti corruption agencies have been talking about taking people to court and even recovering looted funds from looters, who has been charged so far to show Nigerians that the Government is really fighting corruption?

On the issue of fighting corruption at the Federal and the States level, a former Minister of State for Education and presently the Chairman Benue State Civil Service Commission, Prof Jerry Agada in his view said, “If you put me in this place as the chairman of this commission and I loot all the money available here, I think I have committed a grievous thing that I should not be given another opportunity whatsoever elsewhere anymore because the other time I was here, this was what I did. If it was not brought out, then next time they will still bring me here because no one knew what I did when I was there. I took such money and had even returned it. Make everything public so that the whole thing will be clear to the people. That is why people talk of been selective; but it is not the end, the president is working towards taking better steps as far as fighting corruption is concerned”.

The Governor of Benue State Samuel Ortom taking over the mantle of leadership from his predecessor Gabriel Suswam Tingir said he inherited liabilities and an empty treasury as the State is a Civil Service State with no much internally generated source of income even as the self acclaimed food basket of the Nation.

Taking over as the Chief Executive officer of the state was not an easy task for this gentleman politician who came with the zeal to liberate his people from the governance that had held his people down for long.

Salaries were not paid, Contractors were not working for nonpayment of jobs offered, Schools were not in section for nonpayment of Teachers salaries, hospitals were a no go area and pensioners dying on daily basis and most of all, kidnapping and ritual killings, people missing daily in broad day light and nobody could ask any question.

Samuel Ortom came on board like Samuel in the bible and all these ills became history. He came to redefine the State and put its good name again in the proper position in the map of Nigeria to the chagrin of the former order.

“Of late there has been rumors  about the amount of monies paid on Paris refund debt, there was a publication in one of the National Dallies, before that publication, stories were all over the place that Ortom has cheated the state without anyone knowing what was happening. Some say the total sum of 64billion Naira had been misappropriated, when the publication came out, the same people vindicated him saying “For ones, Ortom has said the truth”. These are the things I found interesting about his governance of the state or his administrative style. To me, things are going well”, Gabriel Edache said.

The security issue in the state is a very serious problem but thank God, the present administration is said to be tackling it properly.

Think about the massacre in Agatu, other parts of the State and neighboring Taraba, the Government has stationed troops of the Nigerian Army there to avert whatever occurrences.

“We are told that these so called herdsmen are not the normal herdsmen we know. We had mingled together with the Fulani herdsmen and there has never been any quarrel but this time around, these ones go with AK47 and all sorts of dangerous weapons and ammunitions and you wonder what is happening” a native said.

In the state with Col Jando (Rtd) as the Special Adviser on Security matters to the Governor, security meetings are held almost every day to see that the state is secured from both internal and external intruders.

In a recent interview about the security challenges in the state, Prof. Agada said, “When the Governor came up, the first thing he did was the granting of amnesty to some people who have been keeping guns killing innocent people about. Through that program, a lot of weapons were received and since then, this ugly incidence has reduced. Other security challenges of herdsmen massacre in Agatu and all over the state, you do not hear much of that these days because of the actions that the Governor has taken.

“I was informed that last night there was a meeting at the Government house which lasted till after mid night between our Governor and some stake holders and Governors of neighboring states because of herdsmen’s attack. Col Jando (Rtd), special adviser to the Governor on security matters went round the state and neighboring states to establish security committees. There are security activities on daily bases in the state to see that all went well in and around the state to make sure we do not live in fears anymore”.

Benue under Governor Ortom is on the move with the Chief Executive officer doing everything possible to make the state an ideal home for all.