Benue North-West

If the ‘Bill on Protection against Infectious Diseases 2020’ presently in the Senate is signed into law, anyone found transporting a corpse of someone who died of infectious disease would pay a fine of N2 million.

The Senate has begun probe on the present status of 5th Generation (5G) network in Nigeria.

President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, said on Wednesday that leadership at all levels requires a lot of sacrifice and commitment.

The Court of Appeal Makurdi Judicial Division has upheld the decision of the National/State House of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal, which affirmed the election of Emmanuel Orker-Jev as Senator representing Benue North West Senatorial district.

The Senate on Thursday resolved to send a delegation to commiserate with the victims and people of Anambra State over the recent tanker fire incident which claimed scores of lives. The upper chamber while reacting to the incident through a motion considered on the floor, urged the Federal Government through the Nigeria Fire Service to provide firefighting equipment in all major markets across the country. One of the sponsors of the motion, Senator Stella Oduah (PDP, Anambra North) lamented the incident which claimed many lives, especially that of a woman and her child after 16 years of childlessness. The lawmaker noted that between 2015 and 2018, fuel tanker infernos and accidents caused by vehicles have led to many deaths on Nigeria’s highway. Oduah recalled that in July this year, a motion on similar incident sponsored by Senator Orker-Jev Emmanuel Yisa (PDP, Benue North West) claimed many lives and destroyed property worth millions of naira. She called for strict enforcement of traffic safety rules by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) and all relevant security agencies in order to ensure safer roads across the country. Accordingly, the Senate urged the NPF to work in conjunction with the FRSC to carry out a thorough investigation of the circumstances leading to the fuel tanker fire, with a view to prosecuting anyone found culpable. Meanwhile, the upper chamber on Thursday directed its Committees on Navy, Marine Transport and Finance to investigate the activities of Messrs OMSL limited and other security agencies at the Safe Anchorage Area in the Lagos Ports to determine the legality of their operations and revenue implications. The resolution was reached sequel to the consideration of a motion titled: “Illegal security activity by Messrs OMSL Limited at the Safe Anchorage Area of Lagos Ports and the need to investigate their excesses”. Sponsor of the motion, Senator George Thompson Sekibo (PDP, Rivers East), said that “a security company registered in the name of OMSL limited has since 2014 carried out provision of security of the Lagos Ports Safe Anchorage Area on fees from vessels without regard to the Nigerian Ports Authority. The lawmaker disclosed that “OMSL Limited charged every ship that anchored within the Safe Area $2,500 on the first day of anchorage and $1,500 on every subsequent day for the period any ship stayed at the anchorage area.” According to Sekibo, “it takes between 28 to 30 days for ships that anchor at the Safe Anchorage Area to exit, meaning that every ship pays as much as $46,500 for making use of the Anchorage Area within that period.” He added that, “OMSL in connivance with other security agencies are collecting a whooping sum of $133.28 million or N47.98 billion every year from 2014, meaning that over $733.04 or N263.89 billion have been collected by OMSL and its collaborators.” The lawmaker noted that by virtue of the Ports Act (1954), the Anchorage Area is an integral part of NPA statutory responsibility while NIMASA, Marine Police and Nigerian Navy have the sole responsibility to ensure safe and secure Nigeria territorial waters.

The Senator representing Benue North-West Senatorial District, Orker Jev, on Monday said he would not fight Governor Samuel Ortom over the senatorial seat in 2023.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Benue state has raised the alarm that the National/State Assemblies election petitions tribunal is frustrating her members in respect of whose petitions judgment have been delivered by the honourable tribunal from proceeding on appeal against the judgements.

Benue State Governor Samuel Ortom has said if the state must develop, it has to use other people’s money.

The Governorship, National and State Assembly Elections Petitions Tribunal has received 31 petitions challenging the outcomes of some elections in Benue, its Secretary, Mrs. Deborah Musa, said on Friday in Makurdi.

Sen. George Akume, the All Progressive Congress (APC) candidate for Benue North-West Senatorial Zone, has prayed the Governorship, National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Makurdi to declare him winner of the Feb. 23 elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released a list of senators elected for the ninth assembly so far.

Dr. Uji Wilfred, an Associate Professor of History at the Federal University, Lafia, who is at present the Executive Secretary (ES) of the Benue State Teaching Service Board (TSB), Makurdi, has described the defeat of Senators George Akume representing Benue North-West in the red chambers and Barnabas Gemade representing Benue North East as the end of an era in Benue politics.

Senator George Akume (Benue APC) lost his fourth time bid for the Benue North West Senatorial seat to Hon. Orker Jev.

Sen. George Akume of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lost his fourth time bid to win the Benue North West Senatorial seat to Rep. Orker Jev.

Tension is seriously building in Benue over the non-declaration of the National Assembly election results in Benue North West and Benue North East senatorial districts three days after the elections were concluded.

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ben Mzomdu, has been declared the winner to represent Makurdi/Guma federal constituency of Benue State.

President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed sadness over the passing of former Senator Joseph Kennedy Waku.

Mary, daughter of Benue State-born Wam Begha U Tiv (Son of a Lion), Senator Joseph Kennedy Waku, has been speaking about her late father, stating that he was a man of the people.