BREAKING: Schools partially reopen in Benue

By Jimin Geoffrey

Benue State Executive Council has approved the reopening of schools in compliance with the recommendations of the Presidential Tax Force on COVID-19.

The State Executive Council has also approved a Public Private Partnership, PPP arrangement for the management of the Makurdi Modern Market.

Briefing newsmen today shortly after the EXCO meeting presided over by its Chairman, Governor Samuel Ortom, Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Ngunan Addingi said the schools would be reopened for primary six pupils and students in JSS 3 as well as SS3.

She stated that the Action Committee on COVID-19 would further meet with the Ministry of Education to fine tune modalities on underlining protocols to be observed and a date for the reopening of schools agreed on.

The Information Commissioner also noted that due diligence would be carried out to identify interested persons in the PPP arrangement and those with the requisite capacities for engagement.

According to Mrs. Adingi, the state executive council also approved a request for the 2019 and 2020 International Fund for Agricultural Development, IFAD, Assisted Rice and Cassava Value Chain Development Programme.

She stated that government was going to pay its counterpart funding for the programme so that farmers in the state especially in six local government areas could access funding for rice and cassava farming.