Rose Ejembi, Makurdi

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom on Thursday morning signed three bills into law at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Makurdi.

The bills include a bill for the establishment of Benue State Health Insurance Scheme, a bill for the conversion of Alfred Akawe Torkula College of Advanced and Professional Studies, (AATCAPS) to Alfred Akawe Torkula Polytechnic Makurdi as well as a bill for the conversion of Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture Yandev to Akperan Orshi Polytechnic Yandev.

The Health Insurance bill, according to the governor, is to facilitate the establishment of the State Health Insurance Agency which is structured to cover the formal and informal sectors, as well as the category of people who are vulnerable such as the aged, the very poor and the disabled who have no means with which to pay for insurance services.

Governor Ortom, who assented to the bill, assured that the state health insurance scheme would address the medical needs of the people in both urban and rural settings.

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On the bills for the conversion of the two institutions to polytechnics, the governor noted that the two institutions were part of his administration’s deliberate efforts towards repositioning the education sector to meet the challenges of the 21st century.

The governor stated that the assent was only the beginning of the process and that proactive steps would be taken to secure the necessary regulatory approvals to admit, train and graduate people who would add greater value to the state.

The governor enjoined the Benue State Executive Council to speedily approve recommendations contained in the report on the polytechnics even as he appealed to the host communities to take advantage of opportunities created by siting of the institutions in their areas.

Earlier, while presenting the three bills to the governor for assent, the Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Titus Uba, acknowledged the enormous benefits that would be derived from the initiatives and solicited sustained support of the people.

Commissioner for Education Professor Dennis Ityavyar congratulated Governor Ortom on the feat and for his determination to uplift the standard of education in the state, just as he assured that the ministry would hasten the process for accreditation of the two institutions.