From the rosy monthly average of N5b during the immediate past administration in the state, the federal revenue allocation to the state has plummeted to a mere N1.5b for the month of May, 2016 causing Governor Samuel Ortom to warn people of the state of hard times ahead.
He said that the greatest problem facing his government today is the paucity of funds needed to carry out the most basic services to the people; among them the payment of workers salaries and provision of needed social services.
Governor Ortom spoke during the town-hall meeting for the Igede and MINDA people held separately at the College of Education, Oju and Benue Peoples House Makurdi.
He disclosed that all indices point to further decline in the federal allocation to the state given the restiveness in the Niger Delta and the decline in oil production caused by continous attacks on oil production facilities by millitant groups in the area.
Gov. Ortom called on the people to brace up for the challenging times and to take advantage of the abundant opportunities available in agriculture and turn things around for themselves.
He disclosed that because the federal government is determined to diversify the economy away from oil to agriculture, several life-changing programmes have been designed in conjunction with the state governments to boost agricultural production and help change the economic fortune of farmers in the country.
He disclosed that in addition to the massive land clearing in selected parts of the state, the State government plans to build a number of small dams in different parts of the state to boost dry season farming.
Governor Ortom therefore called on Benue farmers to take advantage of the various opportunities available and translate the comparative advantage the state enjoys in agriculture to concrete developmental landmarks.
He called on them to make use of the CBN anchor borrower programme in which over N7b has been made available to boost agricultural production to change the scope and dimension of their farms.
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