Gov. Ortom invites Buhari to commission project in Benue

Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue State has unexpectedly invited President Muhammadu Buhari to dedicate two freshly built cell blocks at the state’s Makurdi medium correctional facility.

At a meeting with the residents of Ugondo, the community serving as the host for the correctional service, Governor Ortom revealed this.

In the past, Governor Ortom had criticized President Buhari’s APC-led administration, particularly in the wake of recurrent Fulani herdsmen assaults in sections of Benue State that resulted in fatalities and property devastation.

The invitation also comes amid Ortom’s ongoing conflict with Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate, over the party’s decision to keep Iyorchia Ayu as its national chairman. Ortom is fighting this conflict in partnership with “the Integrity Group.”

In order to help Atiku in the upcoming presidential race in 2023, the group demands that Ayu quit.

Following news of jailbreaks around the nation—among them the one at Kuje Area Council in the FCT—construction on new correctional facilities started.

The governor issued a warning to the locals against infringing on territory given to the military and any other federal organizations that support the development and safety of the Benue people.