On behalf of the Coordinator and members of our group, ORTOMATIC AGENTS UNDER 17, one of the rising and enthusiastic PDP ORTOMATIC Social Media group of prolific young writers and pen Lords. We wish to throw our weight behind the sound decision of the Benue State Government to reject the proposed RUGA settlement for herdsmen by the Federal Government in the State.

In a statement made available to news men , the group upheld the position of the government luminous on the Ruga settlements for herdsmen in the state.

According to them, establishment of RUGA settlement for herdsmen by federal government is a gross violation of the Anti Open Grazing Law and instigation of violence in the state.

The group described the move by the Buhari led Federal Government for the establishment of RUGA in the State as a modified form of cattle Colonies in the State aimed at dispossesing the Benue citizens of their ancestral lands for inward allocation to Fulan herdsmen which must be vehemently rejected by all right thinking Benue sons and daughters.

They also opined that, Benue State is an agrarian State and therefore have no land for the establishment of RUGA as proposed by the Federal Government.

It will be recalled that, the Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture with his team in Benue State informed officials of the State Ministry of Agriculture that he had received directives from the Ministry’s headquarters Abuja to establish Ruga which means ‘Fulani settlement’ in some parts of the State.

The Director identified the local government areas selected for the Ruga settlements in the state to be Otukpo, Tarka and Ukum.

Finally, we are calling on the international community to intervene and call president Buhari to order before he drag the country into anarchy.

CC.
Gbaa Desmond

Timothy Iortyer Cmp

Tivta Samuel Ras-Sattuga

Msuega Christian

Comr. Mee Shagbaor Felix

Sen Nongutyough Ben FirrtSon

Msuega Terna Jnr

Comr Wayo Samson Gmb

Ayihe Festus

Comr Fater Patrick Cmp

Prince Tordue.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria have been dealt a blow following their narrow victory over the Swallows of Burundi in their Group B opener at the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The Nigerians secured a win after Odion Ighalo came off the bench to score the only goal after an impressive defensive display from the tournament debutants. However, the three-time African Champions paid the price as right-back Shehu Abdullahi was substituted before the end of the first half of the match.

Now, reports from the Super Eagles’ camp suggest that Shehu Abdullahi could miss the rest of Nigeria’s 2019 Africa Cup of Nations campaign with a hamstring injury. The defender is gradually recovering from a hamstring injury and will play no part when the Super Eagles face the National Elephants of Guinea on Wednesday.

The Turkey-based defender had to be carried out by medics in the first half and was replaced by Porto defender Chidozie Awaziem in the Super Eagles 1-0 triumph over Burundi.View image on Twitter

Shehu Abdullahi✔@OfficialShehu

Not the season I wished for, we fought hard and played out our hearts. I appreciate you all for the amazing support during the season. Unto the next one, 2019 AFCON with @NGSuperEagles in Egypt, your support will spur us to shine.

@akajoebass1,0618:28 AM – Jun 6, 2019127 people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacy

Abdullahi had endured an injury-plagued season while on loan at Turkish topflight outfit, Çaykur Rizespor to make Gernot Rohr’s 23-man squad to the African football showpiece.

Although Nigeria medics are yet to place a timeframe on his full recovery, the Super Eagles’ media officer Toyin Ibitoye told Goal that the right-back would be sidelined for Wednesday’s showdown with Guinea in Alexandria. “Shehu is fine but may need just a few days to be back to 100%.” While Rohr remained tight-lipped as to the extent of the injury, reports suggest that the problem is not a severe one.

However, the German tactician will not risk worsening the injury with other options available for selection. Some of the options available include Kenneth Omeruo of Leganes who is on loan from Chelsea but the 2013 AFCON winner is prefered in the centre-back position. Awaziem, who replaced Shehu on Saturday is a more natural fit for the position. Ola Aina is also an option as a right full back putting Shehu’s position in jeopardy.

Shehu Abdullahi✔@OfficialShehu

Thanks for the love Nigerians, I appreciate your amazing messages. I will be back soon! The most important thing, keep supporting us, we shall make you proud at the end and conquer Africa.

I Love You All.#SoarSuperEagles #TotalAFCON20191,8818:59 AM – Jun 23, 2019391 people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacy

Shehu has already sent a message to the Nigerian fans regarding his health. The defender thanked the fans for their support while he promised to be back in action soon. Since his international debut, Abdullahi has enjoyed a decent run for the country. He was part of the team that represented the West Africans at the 2018 Fifa World Cup and boasts of 27 caps.

Group B leaders, Nigeria face the National Elephants of Guinea on Wednesday by 1530 hrs (local time). The Super Eagles will go into the game knowing that a victory would guarantee their spot in the Round of 16. Gernot Rohr would have enough time to select a perfect replacement for Shehu Abdullahi after observing training sessions in preparation for the game.View image on Twitter

 Super Eagles✔@NGSuperEagles

We will be back on the training pitch at 10.30am today.
Our build up to the next game in this #TotalAFCON2019 tournament begins.
The session will be open.#SoarSuperEagles #Team9jaStrong.1,4178:25 AM – Jun 23, 2019 · Alexandria, Egypt307 people are talking about thisTwitter Ads info and privacy

Leave your support for Shehu Abdullahi and the rest of the Super Eagles as they chase another AFCON title in the comment section.

It has become necessary to make the position of the government and people of Benue State abundantly clear on the Ruga settlements for herdsmen being implemented by the Federal Government across the states including Benue.

A few weeks ago, the Director, Federal Ministry of Agriculture with his team in Benue State informed officials of the State Ministry of Agriculture that he had received directives from the Ministry’s headquarters Abuja to establish Ruga which means ‘Fulani settlement’ in parts of the State.

The Director stated that the local government areas selected for the Ruga settlements were Otukpo, Tarka and Ukum.

The Permanent Secretary, Benue State Ministry of Agriculture drew the attention of the Director and his team to the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017 being implemented in the state. When they were also reminded about the Land Use Act which confers on the Governor the powers to administer lands in all parts of the State, officials of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture left with a promise to relay the message to their headquarters. They surprisingly returned a few days later with contractors to commence work on the Ruga settlements.

We find the approach of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture not only as a gross violation of the Ranching law but also as an insult to the sensibilities of the entire people of Benue State.

It could be recalled that the people and government of Benue State rejected cattle colonies and still reject the policy in whichever robes it is disguised.

Governor Samuel Ortom made the stand of Benue State known during the unveiling of the Livestock Development Programme in Abuja last year. He stressed that the State would embrace the policy only if it supports implementation of the Open Grazing Prohibition and Ranches Establishment Law 2017.

The Governor also insisted that Benue State has no land for open grazing of cattle and he restated ranching as a lasting solution to the incessant herders and farmers crisis which the country ought to embrace.

Governor Ortom made similar presentations at different fora to buttress why open grazing of livestock is not feasible in a densely populated country with over 200 million people.

During the National Council on Agriculture summit which took place in Owerri, Imo State in April this year, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture attempted to impose Ruga settlement patterns on the states but the Benue State delegation seized the opportunity to remind the summit that Benue State has a law on ranching which has phased out open grazing. No one at the summit put forth an alternative method of animal husbandry to counter the state’s presentation.

It could also be recalled that the National Economic Council, NEC, had also unanimously adopted ranching as the best method of livestock breeding for the country. It is therefore shocking to see the Federal Government turning round to establish Fulani herdsmen settlements in some states including Benue, contrary to the position of NEC.

We wish to remind those pushing for Ruga settlements that the Constitution of the country gives states the right to make laws for the governance of their people. Any attempt to subvert such right is a direct attack on the Constitution. Those behind such a move are enemies of peace and progress.

The Government of Benue State is willing to support cattle owners to establish ranches as stipulated by the law prohibiting open grazing.

We however wish to reiterate that Benue State has no land for grazing reserves, grazing routes, cattle colonies or ruga settlements. The State only has land for the establishment of ranches.

Terver Akase
Chief Press Secretary
June 25, 2019.

By Shimaondo Ajikwa

Dr Mrs. Eunice Ortom, the First Lady of Benue State today bagged the “CEFTER Platinum Ambassador Award”.
This is coming Forty Eight hours after Organisers of the First Benue Book Festival presented her with the “Literary Excellence Award”.
CEFTER is Centre for Food Technology &Research,an African Centre of Control of Post Harvest Losses,Benue State University Makurdi.

The event was the CEFTER Post Graduate Conference with the theme:Tackling the Menace of Post-Harveat Losees in West and Central Africa which held at the College of Health Sciences of the institution.

Platinum is a silvery-White Metal and is used in jewellery.
It symbolises true Love,purity,rarity and strength. Indeed whatever is made in Platinum symbolises the everlasting endurance of love.its an equivalent to the ideals of enternal true love.

The true meaning of what Dr Mrs Eunice Ortom,wife of the Governor of Benue State means to CEFTER thus deserving a Platinum award was therefore displayed by the vice chancellor of the university Professor Msugh Kembe who after listening to her contribution, handed her the award at the gathering which comprised of management staff and students of the centre particularly as well as other dignitaries who witnessed the event.

This is what the centre said of Mrs Ortom to deserve the award.
*in 2019,Dr Mrs Ortom supported CEFTER to supply Soya Yoghurt to primary school pupils in Benue state earning the centre up to 180M.

*in 2017,The first lady sponsored the training of over 4000 food vendors on the Home Grown School Feeding Programme by the centre earning it 10M.

*In 2016,the office of the First Lady sponsored the training of about 500 food handlers in the state earning 5M for the centre as well as attracting a “Standing Ovation”from the World Bank.

*she endorsed the centre’s short term courses for the training of youth sponsored by her NGO Eunice Spring Of Life Foundation ESLF on food processing.

*The First Lady is working on a partnership with the Bank Of Industry BOI which will enable the bank provide start up loans to Short term ttrainees of the centre.

*Only recently,the wife of the Governor of Benue State held a discussion with Mogilev State University of Food Technologies in Belarus to collaborate with CEFTER.

In her remarks after receiving the award,Dr Mrs Ortom applauded the University particularly the centre for finding her worthy pointing out that the achievements of the centre is for the benefit of the state as a whole.
“My motivation arose from my concern on food hygiene and the diseases that arise from food”.

She therefore prayed God to increase the knowledge of people of the state so as to keep them healthy and wealthy.

The first lady also appealed to farmers in the state to take advantage of the centre so as to benefit from knowledge on post harvest losses,storage and preservation amongst others.

Other speakers at the event including the Vice Chancellor Professor kembe,Professor Adedzwa, leader of the centre and Professor Ayati of the post graduate school all congratulated the first lady for her interest in the University and the centre in particular.

Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom today june 24th swears in four new Special Advisers.

the swearing in was done at The Benue people’s house makurdi.

those sworn in include:

1. Col. Paul Hemba Rtd, Security Adviser
2. Dr. Magdalyne Dura, Adviser on SDGs and NEPAD
3. Hon. Jerome Torshimbe, Adviser on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs
4. Hon. Joseph Odaudu, Adviser on Special Duties.

The First Lady of Benue State, Dr Eunice Ortom on Saturday in Makurdi, the State Capital Bagged a “Literary Excellence Award” presented to her by the organisers of the First Benue Book and Arts Festival. Other writers at the event also bagged various awards for their contributions to the literary world.

After receiving the award, Mrs Ortom had this to say “As I accept this award, I wish to emphasise my readiness to use it as a Spring board to continue to do more for the girl-child education, promotion of reading culture amongst children and youth as well as contributing to make education more accessible to Benue people”

She continued “Be assured that I will not take this award for granted but it would always renew the energy in me to work for educational development among Benue citizens in general and in particular, encourage more of our people to embrace the reading culture”.

Dr Mrs Ortom whose NGO Eunice Spring of Life Foundation ESLF partnered SevHage and other similar organisations to put up the festival, noted among others that the “constructive Social engagement” accounted for why ESLF was involved even as she pointed out that the hosting of the event in Benue was “to help promote our state positively”.

“Said the First Lady “the hosting of this event in Benue further goes to show that my dear husband His Excellency Samuel Ortom is not only an avid promoter of education, but is a great friend of the literary world and thinkers. He is a leader with an open mind to all the critical views of artists. Above all, he believes that artists play useful roles to the progress and development of society”.

Noting particularly that “Makurdi is is indeed becoming one of the Literary Cities in Nigeria owing largely to the Association of Nigeria Authors in the state and I give credit to our sons and daughters”.

Dr Mrs Ortom however decried the absence of writers. “Let me add that we do not have enough writers and shall never have enough” due to what she described as “the proliferation of issues and problems that each society seeks answers to”.
She sought for ways and means by stakeholders to encourage writing and writers.

Mrs Ortom also called on the organisers to ensure that the awards especially to the teenagers be given adequate publicity in order to encourage their peers who may wish to excel not only in the arts, but in the sciences.

According to reports, a prophet identified as Jacob Ade Farinmade, the head of Celestial Church of Christ, Gospel Mission, Mosan, Ipaja, Lagos, has been taken into police custody for secretly burying a young lady he impregnated.

Reports claim the young lady named Bunmi lost her life during childbirth and the suspect buried her without even informing her parents about her demise.

Before her demise, Bummi was allegedly  taken by her father to stay with her mother after she was rusticated in 200 level at Babcock University in 2014.

However, Bunmi’s mother, Derayo Omisipi, thereafter sought help for her daughter in the hands of Farinmade. She took her daughter to his church for spiritual deliverance and protection.

According to a report by TheNation, the cleric, who is already married to more than 10 wives, wasted no time in taking advantage of Bunmi’s state as he lured and impregnated her.

It was later gathered that the prophet refused to let the deceased go for any antenatal clinic throughout the duration of her pregnancy.

The cleric only announced the news of her death to her mother after he had laid her to rest in a shallow grave close to the church premises.

This didn’t sit well with the deceased father as he became curious to know what had happened to his daughter after her mother could not offer a valid explanation about her whereabouts.

He then informed the police about the matter which led to the arrest of the prophet.

The governor of Benue state Dr Samuel Ortom today paid unscheduled visits to Government Girls Model Secondary School and Special School for Exceptional Children, both in Aliade, Gwer East Local Government Area where he directed immediate commencement of rehabilitation.

During the visit, the Governor directed the immediate construction of a perimeter fence round Government Girls Model Secondary School to guarantee security in the institution.

Governor Ortom, on behalf of government, apologised to the students for keeping them in the current learning environment and assured them that the school will wear a new look before the end of the year.

“My dear students, I assure you that as you leave for your holidays in July, you are coming back into a new school in September,” he stated.

The Governor encouraged the students to study hard and resist any temptation to commit negative acts capable of jeopardizing their future.

Briefing newsmen after inspecting structures of Special School for Exceptional Children, the Governor said his visit was based on reports of decay in the schools.

He expressed the determination of his administration to give face-lift to dilapidated government schools in order to make them conducive for students and teachers.

It will be recalled that during its first term, the Ortom administration commenced the renovation of schools among which were Government Girls Secondary School Makurdi as well as Government College Makurdi.

Super Falcons player, Francisca Ordega has revealed that she once slapped her ex-boyfriend for staring at another woman while they were together.

The player who is part of the Nigerian women team at the ongoing FIFA Women’s World Cup in France made this revelation in an interview with Kelvin Ekerete.

“Off the field, my first boyfriend ever, we were together and were going out. I was younger then, I was really young. We were going out and there was this very pretty girl that was so cute, cuter than me, and my boyfriend was just staring at her and I was like, ‘Hey! What are you looking at?’

And a lot of people were there, lots of them and I didn’t even know when I slapped him.

Ordega was recently under fire after the Super Falcons lost their opening match at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. She was accused by man fans for using make-up on her face during the game.

For her third World Cup, Francisca Ordega wanted to stand out. She had worn her hair in dreadlocks for her first and had a wavy, blonde ponytail for the second, but this time she wanted something bolder.

“I was looking for green and white,” she told New York Times about her search for hair extensions in the colors of her native Nigeria. “But then I saw the blue and purple — and I had to have them.”

She expedited an order all the way from the United States and braided the colorful strands into her hair herself.

But after the team’s 3-0 loss to Norway in their opening game, Ordega logged on to Twitter to find that people were blaming the defeat on her makeup, nails and long hair — it didn’t “make her run well,” one user wrote

Super Falcons star, Asisat Oshoala, bought herself a brand new 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class for the summer.

The 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class car is valued at $33,100 (N11m) according to the thecarconnection.com.

She uploaded pictures of her newly acquired car on her Instagram page status with a caption, “New summer legs. Landed and sitting pretty.”

Oshoala recently joined FC Barcelona women’s team on a permanent deal from Chinese champions Dalian Quanjian.

The 24-year-old agreed to a three-year contract with the Spanish club after an impressive loan spell where she helped Barcelona reach the UEFA Women’s Champions League final and scored eight goals in 11 appearances for the Catalan side.

The former BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year is currently with the Super Falcons at the Women’s World Cup in France