By Oriri Peter

Benue Hotels and Resort today engaged in voluntary sanitation activities in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State as part of its corporate social responsibility.

The exercise which commenced in the early hours of Saturday the 28th of Sept. 2019. Had in attendance a former Benue State Governorship aspirant of the All progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Ogenyi Okpokwu, APC Chairman, Ado Local Government Area Hon. Alegwu Adadu, evicted housemate of the reality TV show, Big brother Naija (BBNaija) 2019, Nelson Nweke and Jeff Allison amongst other volunteers. This activity, was the Hotel's way of giving back to the society, according to its Chief Coordinator and former Managing Director of NEXIM bank, Chief Roberts Orya.

Speaking to reporters during the exercise, Chief Orya pointed out that the hotel was very interested in the well being of the people and the cleanliness of the environment in which it operates hence, the decision to engage in the activity. In his words, "one of the tenets of our own Hotel is to be one of the neatest in Nigeria. Therefore, it is important that our immediate environment must also be neat". He also stressed on the hazardous effects of a dirty environment and the avoidable cost people incur in terms of medical treatment thereby making it difficult to attend to other pressing needs.

Speaking further, Chief Orya pointed out that "the government alone cannot do everything (so) we must assist the government in everything that they are doing," pointing out that since the government have provided an enabling environment for the Hotel and its activities, the sanitation was their own little way of assisting the government. He also appealed "to all business owners that are operating in Benue, be it in Makurdi, Gboko, Otukpo" or any other place in the State to always engage in sanitation as part of their corporate social responsibility.

The bridge was chosen as the location for the sanitation, according to the Coordinator, the bridge "is the gateway to the South East as well as the North East and there are some people that will pass through (the) Bridge, they will not even get to the town, but once you pass here and you see the cleanliness, you will know that Benue people are very clean people".

On the lingering crisis between the Tivs and the Jukuns, chief Orya said there would be a peace dinner between the Jukuns and the ethnic groups in Benue state by 5 p.m. later in the day at Benue Hotels and Resort in order to "appeal to the Warring parties-the Tivs and the Jukuns and any other tribe that is involved. Benue state do not need crisis we must live as peaceful people so that everybody will be happy.

He further stated that one of the objectives of the dinner is to "find ways of productively engaging our youths who are the major cause of some of these problems" as they are the ones that are used to perpetrate those activities. He said besides the talks, anything raised during the course of the meeting will be given to the people displaced as a result of the conflict. The programme according to him will be open to "everybody" and the evicted housemate will also be in attendance.

Source: https://www.naijavoicenews.com/benue-hotels-resort-evicted-bbnaija-housemates-engage-in-sanitation-exercise-in-makurdi-photos/