Ortom urges rehabilitation of federal roads in Benue

• Says his re-election not worth spilling of blood
Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has asked the Federal Government to repair all federal roads in the state.

He made the appeal when the Minister of State for Works, Transport and Energy, Suleiman Hassan Zarma, visited him at the Benue Peoples House.

Ortom lamented the deplorable state of some federal roads in the state, and urged rehabilitatation of all the bad roads, as well as construction of bridges where necessary, for easy transportation.

Among them are Abinsi-Agasha-Anyiin-Wukari roads, Makurdi- Gboko-Katsina-Ala, Makurdi-Otukpo-Nightmile roads, as well as Makurdi- Naka-Ankpa roads in Kogi.

He commended the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) for its efforts at fixing some of the bad roads.

Ortom called for a strict supervision of the work to ensure that the roads are executed according to specifications.

The governor promised to look into all issues regarding compensation on the land acquired for the ongoing construction of a Federal Housing Estate in Makurdi.

He disclosed that additional land would be provided for the phase two of the project, which involves constructing mass housing estate for low-income earners.

The minister said he was in the state to inspect ongoing projects under the supervision of his ministry.

He expressed hope that when completed, the projects would boost economic activities, adding that Benue is a strategic links to the northern and southern parts of the country.

Zarma requested for more land to carry out the phase two of the Federal Government Housing project, and a resolution of all compensation issues relating to the phase one.

In another development, the governor said, although he has the constitutional right to a second term, it was not however worth the spilling of anyone’s blood in the state.

He made the statement when Michael Iduma, led a forum of former political party executives on a solidarity visit to him at the Government House in Makurdi.

He explained that his liberal position on the upcoming general elections made him to ensure the peaceful conduct of the All Progressives Party (APC) congresses in the state.

He said the God who helped him to win the governorship election in 2015 would also raise overwhelming support for his re-election in 2019.

Also yesterday, children of the Special School for Exceptional Children Aliede, protested at the Government House, against what they described as “inhuman treatment and starvation” inflicted on them by government officials.

One of their leaders, Gbenke Aondowase lamented that the school lacks basic infrastructures, while their teachers have not been paid for 15 months.