Benue in the news: 10 things trending in Benue State this Tuesday

By Susan Enenche

Good morning! Here are 10 things you need to know in Benue State this morning:

1. We start this Tuesday morning news summary on a very sad note. Tragedy struck in Benue State recently after a couple lost their lives in a fatal road mishap in Gboko Area of Benue State.

The luciferious incident is coming just two months after their wedding.

IDOMA VOICE gathered that the deceased were coupled on 6 of March and died on May 6.

IDOMA VOICE stumbled on an emotion-laden obituary poster bearing the images of the late lamented couple with a tear-dripping caption that reads: Wedded Forever.

According to a Benue Family member; the two lovers were involved in an accident along Mkar-Ameladu road, Gboko on May

2. There are indications that the incoming government to be captained by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has penciled down a one time National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Audu Ogbeh, to occupy the post of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The decision to zone the seat to North Central, and particularly the Idoma territory was championed by APC leader Ahmed Tinubu.

3. Nigerian were shocked to their marrows Monday morning after INEC card readers sniffed out over 18,424 ghost voters in the just concluded Benue Zone C Senatorial Election.

It would be recalled that the national and state Assembly tribunal in Benue State had authorized the senatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Benue South senatorial zone, Comrade Daniel Onjeh and his party to inspect and take the electoral materials of last senatorial election in the area.

4. As the leadership of the People Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State continue to leak the wounds infected on its party by the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the last general elections, fresh crises have broken out in the crumbling party in the state.

The crises followed alleged revelation that the outgoing governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, is in a secret deal with the APC that will guarantee a soft landing for him when he leaves office.

Part of the deal, according to a government house source, is for Suswam to stop the state PDP and its governorship candidate Terhemen Tarzoor from challenging the victory of the APC governorship candidate, Samuel Ortom in court.

5. Makurdi-based Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Tony Ijohor, has asked the Benue Chief Judge, Justice Iorhemen Hwande, to imprison the state’s Attorney-General, Mr Philip Ierkwagh, for contempt of court.

Ijohor urged the court to also commit the Special Adviser to Governor on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mr Solomon Wombo, to prison for same reason.

He made these submission on Monday when he moved a motion brought by a member of the House of Assembly, Mr Benjamin Adanyi, against Gov. Gabriel Suswam and eight others.

Adanyi challenged the passage of Benue State Council of Chiefs and Traditional Councils Bill/Law by the assembly on April 7, 201

6. The leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Benue State has distanced itself from a faceless body parading itself as APC Renewal Group in Benue State, saying that such group is not associated with the party.

The party was reacting to a statement making the rounds in the media, which quoted the APC as slamming its senatorial candidate in Benue South in the just concluded election, Comrade Dan Onjeh over his alleged ‘constant attacks’ on the senate president, David Mark.

7. There were reports of sporadic gunshots at the College of Education (COE) in Kastina-Ala local government area of Benue state causing panic among residents in and outside campus on Monday.

According to report, some unidentified gunmen on Sunday evening gained entrance into the college premises and continued to shoot sporadically until 11am on Monday.

It was learnt that the development was not unconnected with the protest that has greeted the appointment of Dr. Mattias Ndev as the new Provost for the college.

8. As the ongoing fuel scarcity continues to bites hard across the country, Premuim Motor Spirit, now sells for N150 per litre in most filling stations in many parts of Benue State, even as residents continue to suffer hardship with long queues.

Filling stations in Makurdi, Otukpo and Gboko sell petrol at between N150 and N160 per litre.

9. Some persons believed to be working for utgoing Senate President David Mark have thrown their weight behind the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmad Lawan as the senate leader.

It was gathered that some loyalists of the President of the Senate met secretly at the weekend and opted to work for the emergence of Lawan as the head of the eighth Senate.

Report says at a session in Abuja, Mark’s loyalists said Lawan will ensure what they termed “continuity of the legacies of the outgoing Senate President than any other aspirants.

10. There were reports that the outgoing governor of the State, Gabriel Suswam has finally moved out of the government house, Makurdi.

The governor would hanfover the baton of leadership to Dr. Samuel Ortom come May 29.

Idoma Voice reports that the government house is currently wearing a new look ahead of the D-Day.

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