Alia pledges LG autonomy, to pay staff on 25th
Governor of Benue State has disclosed a robust plan to enhance the education of girls in the state.

The governor was symbolically represented by a 14-year-old student of Anglican Secondary School, Makurdi, in commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child (lDGC) organised by a non-governmental organisation, Save the Children.

Rita, the symbolic governor, who fielded questions from the Benue Children Parliament through the Commissioner for Education, Rev. Frederick lkyaan, and his Women Affairs counterpart, Mrs. Ann Itodo, noted that Benue has many out-of-school children, arising from a prolonged period of stay in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps by many of the citizens.

Advocacy Manager (Education), Save the Children, Badar Musa, disclosed that the NGO is in over 120 countries and has been championing children’s cause for the past 104 years.

In another development, the substantive Benue governor, Hyacinth Alia, has pledged to pay salaries of local councils’ staff on or before the 25th day of every month.

The governor spoke with journalists through his Special Advisor on Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Dennis Akura, yesterday, in Makurdi.

Akura said the governor, who had promised, during the electioneering, that he would grant local council autonomy, is keeping to his promise.

He said the third tier of government was the closest to the grassroots, and making it functional, therefore, would be of immense benefit to the generality of the people.

The Special Adviser also disclosed that the governor has held a familiarisation meeting with traditional rulers in the state and tasked them on security and curtailing of illegal mining and checkpoints within their various domains.