35 things you need to know about Gov Samuel Ortom 

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom is a pace-setter. In the last six years, Governor Ortom has initiated a number of things, most of which are today being celebrated across the country.

Below are 35 of the things Governor Ortom is the first to do:

1. First to serve as local government Chairman, Minister and Governor.

2. First Benue Governor to officially declare amnesty for armed youths.

3. First Benue Governor to dedicate the state to God.

4. Among the first three Nigerian Governors to constitute cabinet after 2015 elections.

5. First Governor in North Central Nigeria to introduce/adopt Treasure Single Account, TSA, at local government level.

6. First Benue Governor to combine governance with practical agriculture.

7. First to achieve the 2015 Round of MDGs/SDGs Conditional Grants in Nigeria.

8. First Nigerian Governor to introduce/sign the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law. Ekiti attempted it but the law of that state did not have the Ranching component.

9. First Benue Governor to introduce/sign the law on prohibition of abduction, hostage-taking/kidnapping, cultism and similar activities.

10. First to secure accreditation requirements of College of Health Sciences and BSU Teaching Hospital leading to granting of accreditation by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria after 12 years. Over 300 medical doctors have so far graduated from the university.

11. First Governor to pay 18,000 minimum wage to primary school teachers in the state.

12. First Benue Governor to embark on 740 school projects at once. Over 1,000 of such projects have so far been completed.

13. First Benue Governor to acquire and distribute thousands of customized desks and chairs for primary schools in the state.

14. First to approve the conversion of Alfred Akawe Torkula College of Advanced and Professional Studies, Makurdi, and Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture, Yandev into Polytechnics.

15. First to approve the design and development of an e-learning and virtual education software and hardware for the Benue State E-Learning Centre

16. First Benue Governor to introduce Point of Sales, POS, devices for Internally Generated Revenue, IGR of the state.

17. First to sign into law the Fiscal Responsibility Act and also set up the Public Procurement and Debt Management Offices, as well as sign the law to amend the Internal Revenue Administration Law.

18. First to domesticate the National Pension Commission’s law to serve as a permanent solution to issues owed pensions of workers.

19. First Benue Governor to consistently give 40% subsidy on fertilizer to farmers.

20. First Benue Governor to acquire and sell tractors at 60% subsidy to the farmers.

21. First Benue Governor to build Agro Processing Factories in six local government areas under Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs.

22. First Benue Governor to introduce three-month scheme that makes Fridays work-free during planting and harvesting seasons.

23. First Benue Governor to introduce/sign the law for Benue State Health Insurance Scheme for the formal and non-formal sectors.

24. First to establish and fully equip 42 primary health centres in different communities of the state.

25. First to establish the Primary Health Care Board which is making significant impact on Benue people.

26. First to establish of Infectious Diseases Centre under the School of Health Sciences, Benue State University. The Centre will open a new vista in our fight against deadly diseases such as COVID-19

27. First to construct a state-of-the-art Palace for the Tor Tiv after many decades.

28. First to put smiles on the faces of orphans at the Mama Abayol Orphanage Home Makurdi with newly constructed structures, new furniture and other modern facilities.

29. First to establish Benue State Television which is now a digital television and is set to compete favorably with others in the country and beyond.

30. First to introduce and inaugurate the Benue State Information and Communications Technology, ICT Council in the state.

31. First to go into in partnership with Bank of Industry and CBN and set aside N2 Billion as loans at only 5% interest rate for Benue farmers and other industrialists.

32. First to introduce the Benue Geographic Information Service (BENGIS) which is set to phase out the analogue system of land administration and management in the state.

33. First to construct gigantic Skills Acquisition Centres in Gbajimba, Guma local government area, Apa- Agila in Ado and Makurdi.

34. First Benue Governor to organize a three-day Youth Summit to brainstorm on the best ways the issues affecting young people could be addressed.

35. First to win elections as Governor on the platforms of different parties for his two terms.