By Chiangi Avese, Makurdi
Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s government has granted the Benue State Legislative and Judicial arms full financial autonomy to ensure the efficient of government administration in the state.
This disclosure was made by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, while briefing Journalists on the outcome of the State EXCO meeting, held on Wednesday at Government House Makurdi.
“The Governor explained that this would ensure the smooth and efficient running of government administration, as all arms of the government will be more focused and organized in moving the state forward”, Sir Kula said.
The CPS further disclosed that, the EXCO approval for the establishment of a Benue Sub-National Fund, which will be similar to the National Sovereign Fund of the Federal Government, where monies will be saved by the state government.
“In this regard, a committee was set up to draw a an operational framework which will be forwarded to the state House of Assembly for it to be made into law”.
The CPS also said that the administration of governor Alia has classified the payment of salaries, pensions and infrastructural developments in the state as ‘a no go area’ explaining that Benue is a civil service state, and as a result Civil servants and pensioners must be given the highest priority, followed by development of infrastructure in the state, as seen in the prompt payments of salaries, pensions & gratuities and also ongoing roads construction in makurdi and other parts of the state.
The Benue State Executive Council also approved the sum of Three Hundred & Fifty one Million Naira(351M) for the purchase of a plot of land to serve as the permanent site for the Abuja park of the state transport company, Benue Links.
The State EXCO said this became necessary due to the operational challenges and difficulties the company has been experiencing in it’s temporary site, hence the need for a permanent site, equipped with standard building structures.
Sir Kula also announced that EXCO had approved the sum of Four Hundred and Twenty Six Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira(426.5M) for the establishment of a standard Civil Engineering Material Testing Quality Control Laboratory in the state Ministry of Works, Housing & Urban Development.
He explained that this became necessary because it was observed that most materials used for construction work in the state are substandard in nature, resulting to cases of collapsed buildings, thus the ministry sought for approval for the provision of a Laboratory for construction materials to be tested as to ensure it’s quality, and to avoid future disasters.
