BUHARI VS ORTOM, IN BENUE - YOU BE THE JUDGE

*PRESIDENT BUHARI’S ACHIEVEMENTS IN/FOR BENUE STATE

1. Completed the Loko-Oweto Bridge, linking Benue and Nasarawa across the River Benue and also completed the Oshogbedo-Oweto Road which links to the Bridge from inside Benue. This network of roads will cut the journey time between Otukpo and the FCT by more than 2 hours.

2. President Buhari has established a new Federal University of Health Science in Otukpo, Otukpo LGA, a new College of Education in Odugbo, Apa LGA, and a new Federal Polytechnic in Wannue, Tarka LGA.

3. The Buhari Administration provided a USD 2.5 million Grant to Benue State, under the Saving One Million Lives (SOML) initiative.

4. Approved Paris Club Refunds and Budget Support Facility for Benue State, worth tens of billions of Naira in total.

5. Completed the 40MW Kashimbila Dam and Hydropower Plant in neighboring Taraba, which will supply parts of Benue with electricity, like Yandev.

6. The Buhari Administration’s MSME Clinic programme in June 2020 completed and commissioned a 200,000-capacity yam storage facility for MSMEs at the Zaki Biam International Yarm Market (said to be the biggest yam market in the country), Benue State.

7. The Nigerian Military in September 2020 neutralised Terwase Akwaza, aka Gana, the most vicious militant/bandit troubling Benue State, and a man protected by Governor Ortom and used to deal with the Governor’s enemies. Nigerians should remember that Gana was granted amnesty by Governor Ortom and appointed to head a revenue collection task force for the State in 2015. A month after Gana’s death, the gallant Nigerian military arrested Kumour Fachii aka Commandant, Gana’s deputy.

8. In November 2021, the Buhari Administration commissioned the completed Vandeikya-Obudu Cattle Ranch Road (Phases 1 and 2) in Benue State, linking Benue and Cross River States. Several other Federal Roads serving Benue are under reconstruction/rehabilitation or have been completed by the Buhari Administration, like the Dualization of the 221km Keffi - Akwanga - Lafia - Makurdi Road, the Otukpa-Ugbokolo-Otukpo Road, among others.

9. The Nigerian Armed Forces have launched Operation Whirlstroke and Exercise Ayem Akpatuma, which have helped restore relative peace and security in Benue in recent years.

10. Tens of thousands of Benue State indigenes and residents have benefited from the various programmes of the Buhari Administration: N-Power, GEEP, the Special Public Works programme, the CBN/NIRSAL Household/MSME Loans, Anchor Borrowers Programme, and National Housing Programme.

11. In December 2020, the Energizing Education Programme of the Buhari Administration commissioned an 8.25MW Solar Hybrid mini-grid to serve the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi (FUAM).

ACHIEVEMENTS OF GOVERNOR ORTOM IN/FOR BENUE STATE:

1. Succeeded in owing civil servants’ salaries and pensions for several months, in a State that is primarily a civil servants’ State. Records indicate that State government pensioners are being owed as many as 34 months, while Local government pensioners are being owed more than 70 months. Benue civil servants and pensioners have never had it so bad, and are constantly protesting in Makurdi. Google “Benue Pensioners protest” and see for yourself.

2. Accused Benue people of being lazy drunkards and ingrates

3. Fond of signing MOUs that don’t deliver anything

4. Expert at Deducting millions monthly from Local Government Areas funds for inexplicable reasons and squanders security votes

5. Hidden behind false accusations against the Fulani to cover up his absolute incompetence and uselessness as a Governor, and Inventing false accusations against the Federal Government.

6. Selling off State Government assets to cronies after failing to revamp them. Like the Benue Transport Limited, Benue Burnt Bricks, Benue Hotel, Star Cement, Fruit Company, and many more

7. Lewd Jokes, like: "Even when I'm on top of my wife and I remember people in IDP Camps... my thing goes flat.” (Gov Ortom, Government House, Makurdi, September 2, 2021)

After killing a thousand of the citizens, throw some crumbs at them.

Both of them are bad business