Ortom is the best performing governor in Nigeria – CPS, Akase
The Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State governor, Terver Akase has claimed that his principal, Samuel Ortom is so far the best performing governor in Nigeria.
Akase claimed his boss, who many Benue residents have described as disaster to the state has performed well and thus deserves commendations and not condemnations.
Speaking with Nation, Akase said, “Since the creation of Benue State, the people have never experienced the kind of locusts that hit them under the previous government. At the time Governor Samuel Ortom was sworn into office, the accounts of the state were in red.
His predecessor had, in addition to leaving a huge debt burden and unpaid salaries for many months, stopped giving overheads to ministries, departments and agencies; took bank overdrafts and left projects uncompleted. So it was a question of where and with which resources do we start.
“The government of Gabriel Suswam received federal allocation for the month of May but not even one month’s salary was paid. The gloomy situation necessitated the decision by the government to take a loan of N10 billion, with which it was able to pay salaries for the months of May and June, as well as kick-start governance in various sectors of the economy.
You see, the opposition party in Benue State has recruited mercenaries, whose only job is to hurl daily insults on Governor Ortom and his administration. Their target is to divert attention from the numerous achievements being recorded by the Governor. Falsehood is their vehicle for achieving the impossible task. I call it impossible task because Benue people are wiser, and that’s why their attempts have failed on all occasions. The people have seen through their veil of lies and rejected same. The people know that the economy is generally bad now, so they understand and appreciate the Governor for his efforts despite the current recession.
You surely read about Governor Ortom’s presentation at one of the side events during the United Nations General Assembly this year. That feat was possible because Benue under Governor Ortom became the first state in the country to pay counterpart funds for construction and equipment of modern primary health centres in 33 communities across the state under Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs. The State Government paid N1.2 billion and accessed N1.2 billion from the SDGs office taking the total to N2.4 billion. With the funds, the construction of the health centres, skill acquisition and enterprise development centres, orange packaging plants and boreholes commenced in parts of the state. Most of those projects have been completed as I talk to you.
The Schools of Nursing and Midwifery which lost accreditation three years ago have regained the accreditation. Imagine the massive contribution the two schools will make to the manpower needs of the Benue State health sector. This sector was neglected by the previous government and structures in those institutions were all dilapidated and became an eyesore. Two weeks ago, the Governor gave a directive that 86 casual staff of the schools be given letters of permanent appointment and the directive was immediately implemented.
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Treasure Orokpo
A multi-talented individual with a passion for diverse fields, Treasure Orokpo is a trained journalist, skilled cook, and AI enthusiast. When she's not uncovering the latest stories, you can find her whipping up culinary creations in the kitchen and entertainment.
