March 05, (THEWILL) – Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom, has signed three bills extending the retirement age of staff of Colleges of Education Katsina-Ala, Oju and Benue State Polytechnic Ugbokolo from 60 to 65 years.
The bills are to repeal and reenact Benue State Polytechnic Ugbokolo, Colleges Of Education Katsina-Ala, Oju and other matters therein.
Performing the ceremony at the Benue People’s House Makurdi, on Tuesday, the Governor said the decision to extend the retirement age was done in the best interest of the state.
“At 65 years in service, people can do better hence their experiences. Federal Government started the programme and Benue State Government copied from to step it down,” he said.
He commended the affected staff, who have been agitating for the extension for their patience and thanked the leadership of the Benue State House of Assembly for the quick passage of the three laws.
Governor Ortom announced that a similar bill for the extension of teachers’ service years in Benue State will soon be presented to the state House of Assembly for consideration.
In a related development, Governor Ortom has directed the lifting of the ban on motorcycles in the Sankera axis of the State with immediate effect.
“This directive is in consonance with the judgment of the High Court of Justice, Gboko, which had set aside the order of the Benue State Security Council, who banned the use of motorcycles in the Sankera axis of the state as a way of curtailing the rise of crime in the area,” he said.
Governor Ortom maintained that as a government that believes in the rule of law and due process, his administration was bound to revert its action.
A statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Nathaniel Ikyur, said the action of the Security Council followed the continued use of the motorcycles by criminals and bandits in the area to wreak havoc on their communities, which led to the destruction of the rural economy as well as the social and political life of the area.
It will be recalled that Benue State Executive Council, in 2021, banned the use of docksyash vehicles and motorcycles in Katsina-Ala, Logo and Ukum local Government areas after Dr Terkura Suswam, elder brother of Senator Gabriel Suswam, was killed by assassins using motorcycles.
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