Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Breaking News:

Benue Borrows N5 Billion To Fund Joint Projects

By Joseph Wantu, Makurdi.
12 July 2015   |   1:51 am
Benue State governor Samuel Ortom has informed that he would approach the State House of Assembly for approval to borrow N5 billion for the payment of counterpart funding of joint projects with development partners. Ortom made the disclosure at the Banquet Hall of the Benue Peoples House Makurdi during a courtesy call on him by development…
Ortom

Ortom

Benue State governor Samuel Ortom has informed that he would approach the State House of Assembly for approval to borrow N5 billion for the payment of counterpart funding of joint projects with development partners. Ortom made the disclosure at the Banquet Hall of the Benue Peoples House Makurdi during a courtesy call on him by development partners.

The Governor said, in spite of the economic downturn, he had just approved the release of N20 million to UNICEF as counterpart fund to enable it carry out its projects across the state. He explained that having realised the importance of development partners in complementing government efforts towards enhancing service delivery in different sectors of the state, his government was determined to go all out to meet the obligations of the state government.

Ortom disclosed that as a practical demonstration of his commitment towards partnership, he had compiled all counterpart commitments across the board and would approach the State Assembly to approve a N5 billion loan to procure and pay. He expressed optimism that with the payment, he was sure that the partners would devote more commitment, even as he assured that whatever funds meant for development of the state would be judiciously applied.

In her remark, the Director General of the State Planning Commission, Mrs. Dorcas Ukpe stated that the development partners had assisted the state government to improve service delivery various sectors including agriculture, health, education, security as well as human and material development.

Meanwhile, the governor has vowed to Investigate, sanction any staff demanding bribes from colleagues before payment of salaries. He made the assertion while reacting to speculations that some staff of the Benue State Ministry of Finance, were demanding between N500 and N1000 from workers whose names were omitted from payment vouchers for the month of May, 2015, before rectification.

Governor Ortom, who warned that such officers if unravel to be true, would be sanctioned, assured that the allegation would thoroughly be investigated to show that his administration’s stand on zero tolerance for corruption and does not preclude anyone.

0 Comments