Benue State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has continued its statewide assessment tour with a visit to Gwer East Local Government Area, where the council administration highlighted key development projects while officials of the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) Annex in Aliade appealed for more government support to improve healthcare services.
The assessment team, led by the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, visited the local government last Tuesday as part of an ongoing tour of the 23 local government areas, ministries, departments and agencies in the state.
Briefing journalists on behalf of the Chairman of Gwer East Local Government Council, Hon. Timothy Nyiakura Adi, who was away on official engagement, the council’s Information Officer, Mr. Christopher Avir, said the administration inherited dilapidated infrastructure but had embarked on an aggressive rehabilitation and development programme.
According to him, six major blocks within the council secretariat have been renovated, including the Personnel Department, the Chairman’s Office, the offices of the Deputy Chairman and Secretary to the Council, as well as the conference hall.
Also renovated were the council hall, NYSC office, Internal Auditor’s office, NULGE office, Inspectorate office, Civil Defence office and the Chairman’s Guest House.
Avir further disclosed that the council had installed solar-powered street lights across the Aliade main market and along the Aliade-Otukpo Road to improve security and commercial activities.
He said the administration also procured and installed a 500KVA transformer at the Aliade Rice Mill, constructed a bridge along the Namor-Aliade Road, flagged off a five-kilometre road project linking Ojilagbo to the Hausa Quarters in Aliade and awarded the construction of the General Hospital, Aliade Road, to Tracta Construction Nigeria Limited.
Speaking on healthcare, Avir described the establishment of the BSUTH Annex in Aliade as one of the administration’s landmark achievements.
“One of the biggest achievements of this administration is bringing a tertiary healthcare facility to Gwer East. Today, people from Konshisha, Oju, Gwer West, Otukpo and other neighbouring communities come to Aliade to access specialist medical services. That is a major milestone for our local government,” he said.
At the BSUTH Annex, the Acting Administrator, Mr. Eugene Aondoaver, commended the council chairman for facilitating the establishment of the facility but noted that the hospital still faces serious operational challenges.
He identified the absence of an ambulance, inadequate ward facilities, lack of electricity supply and lack of a functional water system as major constraints affecting healthcare delivery.
“The facilities we have are useful, but this is a teaching hospital and we must maintain the standards expected of such an institution. We still need emergency, male, female and children’s wards to meet that standard,” Aondoaver said.
He revealed that although a borehole was functional when the hospital commenced operations in July 2025, it broke down a few months later, forcing staff and patients to depend on a well that often dries up during the dry season.
“We came here on July 18, 2025, and the borehole worked initially. Around December it developed faults. Since then, we have relied on a well, but during the dry season even that becomes inadequate. Restoring water supply remains one of our priority needs,” he explained.
The Acting Administrator, however, disclosed that radiology and paediatrics buildings were currently under construction to expand the hospital’s capacity.
Responding to concerns over the delayed commencement of the five-kilometre road project in Aliade, the contractor handling the project, in his earlier address in a video to Gwer East people, attributed the delay to persistent rainfall and assured residents that work would begin once weather conditions became favourable.
“We understand the concerns of the people, but we will not compromise quality because of time. As soon as conditions permit, work will commence in earnest and we are committed to delivering a durable road within the shortest possible time,” the contractor stated.
Some residents also expressed satisfaction with the performance of the council chairman.
A food vendor, Mrs. Juliana Pine, praised the administration for executing visible projects across the local government.
Speaking in Pidgin English, she described Hon. Adi as a committed leader whose achievements, despite his youthful age, surpassed those of several previous council chairmen.
“This young chairman has done many things for Gwer East. He has renovated the secretariat, executed projects and shown genuine commitment to developing this local government. I speak the truth because I fear God, not man,” she said.
Speaking during the visit, the NUJ Chairman, Comrade Bemdoo Ugber, explained that the assessment tour was not intended to witch-hunt public officials but to independently verify projects, identify challenges and provide accurate information to the public.
“Our mission is to obtain first-hand information about government activities, assess the impact of projects on the people and draw attention to areas that require further intervention. This exercise is not a probe but a professional effort to promote accountability and development through responsible journalism,” Ugber explained.(Sky news link)
