Rose Ejembi, Makurdi
Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has set up Emergency Response Committee on Coronavirus (COVID-19.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Terver Akase, said the committee is to proactively monitor, supervise and coordinate the state government’s response to the dreaded disease.
The committee which is headed by Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Sunday Ongbabo, also has Dr Samuel Ngise as Secretary.
The Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Mrs. Ngunan Addingi, Commissioner for Water Resources and Environment, Engr.
Dondo Ahire, as well as Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Dr. Timothy Ijir are members.
Other members of the committee are Apir Ityu, Dr. Terna Kur, Agwaza Iorkpiligh, Matthew Uyina, Moses Leva, Edward Amali, Mr. Claude Bitaronga, Peteru Inunduh, Prof. Terrumun Swende Alli Cornelius, Patrick Echekwube and Mr. Micheal Adejo.
Meanwhile, the governor has directed that surveillance on coronavirus be stepped up in the 23 local government areas of the state .
He also disclosed that a treatment centre had been established at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) and a location identified to be used as quarantine unit in the event of any outbreak of the disease.
“The governor urges Benue people to adhere to preventive measures and assist health workers in their various communities to succeed,” the statement concluded.
To check the spread, Sen. Umaru Al-Makura (APC/Nasarawa South), has distributed 120 power generating sets to traditional rulers in his constituency to boost enlightenment in the rural areas.
Al-Makura, while distributing the items in Lafia yesterday, said that the gesture was to assist the traditional institutions on the critical roles they were expected to play toward mobilising their communities. “With the outbreak of the dreaded Coronavirus in Nigeria, the generating sets will power public address systems to be used for mass enlightenment and sensitisation in rural communities that have no electricity,” he said.
According to Al-Makura, local government offices of the All Progressives Congress (APC) would also benefit from the gesture.
He added that apart from the power generating sets being distributed, plans were underway for an economic empowerment scheme for his constituents where 2,000 beneficiaries would get N10,000 each.
He also revealed that he recently bought special books and other materials worth over N4 million for pupils at the Comprehensive Special School for the Physically Challenged in Lafia.
In his remarks, Gov Abdullahi Sule lauded the people-oriented disposition of his predecessor routed through his various intervention programmes for his constituents.
The governor said that his administration was leveraging on Al-Makura’s legacies and would continue to do so for the benefit of the people and development of the state.
Meanwhile, Executive Secretary of the Border Communities Development Agency, Capt. Junaid Abdullahi, hascommended Al-Makura for his people-oriented policies.
Represented by Sadiq Isah, Deputy Director, Public Affairs, Abdullahi said that the agency had concluded arrangements to construct two blocks of classrooms at Kwandere and Kanje Primary Schools to support Al-Makura’s constituency interventions.