Benue Governor grants full financial autonomy to Legislature, Judiciary
By Titus Atondu, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev.Fr.Hyacinth Alia has granted full financial autonomy to the Legislative and Judiciary arms of government in the state.
Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, made the disclosure 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 organised in moving the state forward.
The statement also disclosed that the State executive council has approved the establishment of a Benue Sub-National Fund, explaining that this will be similar to the National Sovereign Fund of the Federal Government, where the monies will be saved by the state government.
“A committee was formed to draw an operational framework which will be forwarded to the state House of Assembly for it to be made into law,” The statement revealed in part.
The Governor also stated that his administration has classified the payment of salaries, pensions and infrastructural developments in the state as ‘a no go area’ adding 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 Benue Links park.
The State EXCO explained that it 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.
Similarly, the state EXCO approved the sum of Four Hundred and Twenty Six Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N426.5m) for the establishment of a standard Civil Engineering Material Testing Quality Control Laboratory in the state Ministry of Works, Housing & Urban Development.
