Senator Abba Moro’s modest achievements in his second year hits Manex talkshow TV media server

Today, June 11, 2021, is exactly two years that Comrade Abba Patrick Moro was inaugurated as a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, representing the good people of Benue South Senatorial District. In two years, Senator Moro has brought a new dynamism to what it means to be an elected representative of the people, with his exemplary display of
commitment, empathy and responsiveness in his service to his constituency.

Senator Moro hit the ground running immediately he was sworn in, and he has been running since then, to leave inedelible marks in the sands of time.

He continues to make impacts that bely his status as a first-time Senator. He has been outstanding with his qualitative representation, which even his critics find incontestable.

Senator Moro has proven his mettle, leaving no one in doubt as to his competence as a lawmaker. The facts speak volume about him, and the volume of his works attest to his quality as an indefatigable lawmaker.

Below is the chronicle of his modest achievements in the last one year, between June 11, 2020, and today, June 11, 2021.

BILLS, MOTIONS AND PETITIONS

On his contributions on the floor of the Senate, oversight functions and other responsibilities as a Senator, we shall briefly touch on some of the Bills, Motions and Petitions the Distinguished Senator has sponsored in the last one year.

BILLS

Bills are Acts enacted by the National Assembly, subject to the Assent of the President or the Overriding Vote of the National Assembly. Senator Abba Moro has, in the last one year, sponsored the following Bills:

1. A Bill for an Act for the alteration of of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to make provisions for Local Government autonomy. The Bill, if passed into law, will give the Local Government system autonomy, which will help to bring visible development and governance to the grassroots.

2. A Bill for an Act for the establishment of Families of Fallen Servicemen Support Fund. The Bill, if passed into law, will help to cater for families of service men who die in the line of duty. The Bill has passed Second Reading.

3. The Nigerian Maritime Administration And Safety Agency (NIMASA) Act 2007 (Amendment Bill, 2021).

4. A Bill for an Act to establish the Federal University of Health Sciences, Akwete-Akpa, Otukpo, Benue State. The public hearing was held on the 31st of January, 2021, waiting for passage into law by the Senate.

5. A Bill for an Act to establish the Veteran Welfare Fund. The Public Hearing was held on the 9th of June, 2021, waiting for passage into law by the Senate.

MOTIONS

Motions are urgent national issues brought to the Senate under Order 42 and 52. Senator Abba Moro has, in the last 12 months, moved the following Motions on the floor of the Senate:
1. Motion on the devastating effects of windstorm in Ogbadibo, Okpokwu and Otukpo communities. You will recall that in April 2021, windstorm wreaked havoc in parts of Benue South resulting in the loss of properties worth millions of Naira. The Senator visited the affected communities in Ogbadibo and Okpokwu LGAs, respectively.

2. Motion on the outbreak of yellow fever in Ogbadibo and Okpokwu LGAs communities. In December, 2020, when the epidemic was reported, Senator Moro personally visited the affected communities for on-the-spot-assesment of the outbreak.

3. Motion on the illegal and excessive charges on customers’ accounts by banks. The Motion condemned the charges and requested that the relevant regulatory agencies investigate the charges with a view to putting an end to it. The Motion was moved on the 7th of October, 2020.

4. Motion on the killings in Ado and Oju LGAs, requesting for an end to the crises, one-minute silence in honour of those killed and a call on FEMA to provide relief materials to those displaced. The Motion was moved on the 2nd of June, 2021, standing on Order 46.

5. Motion on the herdsmen attack on Echori and Itakpa communities in Obi LGA, on 1st of July, 2020.

PETITIONS

Petitions are complaints from Nigerians to the Senate President, through their Senators.

In the last one year, Distinguished Senator Abba Moro has received from his Constituents and presented the following petitions on the floor of the Senate:

1. Petition to the Senate over the refusal of PENCOM to pay Mr Gabriel Iduh part of his savings to go for surgery. The petition was submitted on the 16th of February, 2021.

2. Petition, on behalf of Ado Council Chairman, Hon. James Oche, against the killing of Ado people and abduction of five elders from the LGA. The petition was submitted on the 4th of May, 2021.

SECURITY CHALLENGES IN BENUE SOUTH

Following the security challenges that continue to plague the senatorial district, Senator Moro, in his own way, has done the following;

1. On the 1st November, 2020, he had a meeting with all the 11 House of Assembly Members from the Senatorial District, to discuss how best to tackle the challenge.

2. As a follow-up to the meeting, the Senator had another meeting with the 9 Council Chairmen and the 11 House of Assembly Members from the Senatorial District, on 22nd May, 2021, to further discuss how to tackle the problem headlong.

3. On the 5th of May, 2021, the Senator had a joint press conference with Senator Sam Egwu, from Ebonyi State, to draw the attention of the Nigerian government and the international community to the crisis ravaging Ado LGA Benue State and Ebonyi State communities.

4. Senator Moro, on separate occasions, visited Ukpute community in Oju LGA and IDP camps in Ado LGA to condole with the communities and those affected by the attacks on the communities.

EMPOWERMENT

Senator Abba Moro, in the last one year, has organized intensive training and empowerment programmes for youths from across the 9 LGAs. Those trained were given starter packs and money. The first batch of the training, which was for youths from Otukpo, Ohimini, Apa, Agatu, Obi and Oju LGAs, held between 19th and 22nd of October, 2020. The second batch, which was for youths from Ogbadibo, Okpokwu and Ado, LGAs, held between 12th and 14th February, 2021.

2. As part of his empowerment programme for rural women and youths of Benue South, Senator Moro, on the 14th of February, 2021, distributed sewing and grinding machines to his constituents from the 9 LGAs and across party lines. Also, on the 31st of May, 2021, the Senator distributed another set of sewing machines to over 100 of his constituents.

3. Senator Moro, in the last One year, influenced and facilitated federal government loans to over 100 of his constituents, who are doing very well in their chosen businesses.
4. As for direct job placement, many young men and women from Benue South have secured government jobs through the efforts of the Distinguished Senator.

PROJECTS

As a man who wants the best for his people, even though without any vote for projects, Senator Abba Moro has been on his toes, to ensure that he facilitates and influences as many projects to the Senatorial District, as he can. This is in addition to his own personal efforts, such as the tractors he mobilized to the Otukpo township road on the 28th of September, to make the road motorable.

The following projects are either completed or ongoing in Benue South, courtesy of the Comrade-Senator;

1. He facilitated the procurement and distribution of transformers to various communities in Benue South. Communities such as Ichama, in Okpokwu LGA; Owukpa, in Ogbadibo LGA; Enyaj’Ifu, in Otukpo LGA, etc, are beneficiaries.

2. Procurement and installation of solar-powered street lights in parts of Benue South. Okpokwu, Obi, and Ohimini LGAs benefitted from this.

3. Rehabilitation of Obusa-Ojuma-Ogiri road in Oju LGA.

4. Building of a hall at the Och’Idoma palace, Otukpo.

5. Construction of a block of well furnished 3-classrooms each, in Ojantele, Apa LGA, and Odessassa LEA Primary School, in Okpokwu LGA.

6. Rehabilitation of Eke-Ugbokolo road, in Okpokwu LGA.(an ongoing project).

7. Rehabilitation of Obarike-Ito/General Hospital road in Obi LGA.

8. Rehabilitation of Otukpo-Oju-Obi federal highway by Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FEMA).

The Senator is aware of the slow pace of work on the road and seriously engaging FEMA.

9. Rehabilitation of Otukpa-Branch/Kogi road in Ogbadibo LGA.

10. Construction of a lecture hall at the National Open University, learning centre, Ugbokolo, in Okpokwu LGA.

11. Rehabilitation of the Chief Attah Ochoga Avenue, Otukpo.

12. The extension of the 33kv dual carriage line along Otukpo-Enugu road, to boost electricity supply in Benue South.

13. Two gigantic and well-equipped Primary Healthcare Centres, each in Ugbokolo, Okpokwu LGA, and Apa-Agila, in Ado LGA.

14. The ongoing rehabilitation of Jamaica street in Otukpo.

Most of these projects have been completed and waiting for commissioning, while some are still ongoing.

More projects have been lobbied and captured in the 2021 budget, which will be executed under the 2021 budget.

HOMELAND DEFENCE

Before his assumption of office as a Senator, Comrade Abba Moro made it known to his people that he would never turn his back on them. So far he has lived up to that expectation.

Beside the Motions and Petitions from his people that he has moved and presented on the floor of the Senate, the Senator-Comrade has always spoken for his Constituents. He has condemned the security challenges in Benue South and made spirited efforts to tackle them. He spoke against the arrest and incarceration of a constituent, Elijah Odeh, in Kano State. He joined to facilitate the release of the young man and personally received him in his National Assembly office on the 10th of February, 2021.

When tanker conveying fuel fell and exploded in Oshigbudu, Agatu LGA, Senator Moro was the first elected person to arrive the scene of the incident, to sympathize with the community. He was to return to the community a few days later, on the 25th of April, with 11 new motorcycles, to replace the ones burnt in the inferno.

HONOURS AND RECOGNITION

In the last one year, Senator Moro has been nominated for over 60 awards. He turned down most of them. The few that he agreed to receive include;

1. Distinguished Leadership Prize for Excellence Award, by the Female Students Vanguard for Girl-child Education In Africa (FSVGA).

2. Senator Of The Year Award, by Daily Independent Newspaper.

3. Best Performing Senator Award, by Benue Coalition For Good Governance (BCGG)

4. Beacon of Hope of The Society Award, by Benue United Entertainment And Prestigious Awards (BUEPA)

5. Honoured as the Akpoaza 1 of Ezza land, by the Ndiegu Ishieke Izi Development Union And Izzi Nnodo Ekumaenyi, in Ado LGA.

6. Honoured by Ado Youths Network for Good Governance in recognition of his ‘Exceptional Leadership Quality In Benue South And Ado LGA in Particular’.

7. He was appointed and decorated the Grand Patron of Joseph Tarka University, Makurdi.

8. The Political Pace-Setter Of Our Time award, by National Association of Zone C Students.

9. Award of Excellence, by the Federal Collage of Vertinary, Medical and Laboratory Technology, Vom, Plateau State.

10. Award of Excellence, by Benue Rebirth Movement (BRM) in recognition of his roles in the actualization of the Federal University of Health Sciences, Otukpo (FUHSO)

11. Icon Of Youths Award, by Nigerian Students Parliament.

Senator Abba Moro is committed to his work as a Senator representing Benue South Senatorial District, and he won’t betray the trust and confidence reposed in him by the Benue South electorate. The next one year promises to be better and more fulfilling
God bless Benue South Senatorial District!
God bless Benue State!!
God bless Nigeria!!!
Sign
Media Unit,
Office of Senator Abba Moro, D. Litt, FIAMN, FCPA,
11/06/2021