Governor Hyacinth Alia of Benue says the state government will award contracts for the construction 50 roads to be completed in the next 12 months.
Mr Alia made the announcement on Tuesday during the All Progressives Congress, APC, Critical Stakeholders Meeting, held at the Government House in Makurdi.
He said the Ministry of Works and Urban Development was working on the details of the project, which was meant to ease movement and transportation of agricultural produce to improve the economy.
He said the ongoing construction of the two underpass in Makurdi and Gboko would be completed in the coming months.
Mr Alia added that work on the 16 roads in Makurdi and within Zone A, as well as renovation of the 40 years old State Secretariat, and the State Assembly has reached 90 per cent completion.
The governor also said the administration would strive to greatly address the issue of postharvest losses, so that farmers would smile to the bank.
He said agriculture was not just a way of life but a means of livelihood and urged all citizens to embrace it.
Mr Alia added that in the coming weeks, the government would unveil a security outfit of 10,000 personnel to improve security in the state.
He also said the long abandoned students scholarship would be reintroduced in May.
Mr Alia told the APC stakeholders that Tiv Traditional Rulers had reconciled him and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume.
He said that during the meeting both of them spoke from their hearts and resolved all issues.
“If you are day dreaming of the division of the APC in Benue, wake up, the train of the APC is one, moving and moving fast.
“We were invited by our Tiv Traditional fathers to find out about what they kept reading in the news about the issues between us.
“We spoke from our hearts and they advised us, they initiated peace that was near eluding us, I embraced my big brother the SGF, and behold there was peace.
“So, let no one from any quarter be deceived that APC in the state is divided, no we are not; under my leadership as a man of peace, there must be peace,” he added.
In his remarks, Sen. Barnabas Gemade said elders in the state have unanimously passed a vote of confidence on the governor.
Mr Gemade said as elders, all they needed to do now was to advise the younger ones to succeed.
Also, Hingah Biem, commended the governor for the strides in infrastructural development and urged him to do more.
Earlier, the Acting State Chairman of APC, Benjamin Omakolo, said the party has been united.
He assured that the APC would provide level playing ground to all aspirants for the forthcoming council polls.
NAN
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