Benue State Governor, Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has approved a fresh round of appointments, including agribusiness and international development expert Samuel Iorungwa Agwa as the State Coordinator of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) programme in Benue State.
The appointments, announced in a statement issued on Wednesday, July 29, by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Sir Tersoo Kula, also include the creation of new agencies and the appointment of their heads as part of efforts to strengthen governance and improve service delivery.
Among those appointed is Engr. Thaddeus Terngu Tarzomon as General Manager of the newly created Benue Road Maintenance Agency, while communication scholar and former media executive, Ben Ebe, was named the Benue State Coordinator of the North Central Development Commission (NCDC).
Fr. Alia also appointed Mercy Turugh as Executive Secretary of the Agency for Recreation and Parks. Turugh is a community development and workforce professional with more than 24 years of experience in youth empowerment, career development and community advocacy.
The appointment of Agwa is expected to bolster the state’s agricultural development drive. A former United Nations development professional and agribusiness expert from Vandeikya Local Government Area, Agwa has over two decades of experience in humanitarian services, international development cooperation, governance, research and agribusiness. He previously served with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the Benue State Government and Midwest Agro Services Limited, and is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eternity Synergy Limited.
Fr. Alia also inaugurated an eight-member Benue State Project Monitoring Team to oversee government projects across all sectors. The team will be chaired by Engr. Dr. Felix Atume, mni, and is mandated to monitor project implementation, ensure compliance with approved specifications, evaluate value for money, identify delays or substandard work, and submit periodic reports to the Governor.
In a related development, Fr. Alia approved the immediate deployment of the Commissioner for Science and Technology, Hon. James Dwem, to the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs. He also forwarded the name of Hon. Ankwa Amo II to the Benue State Assembly for confirmation as a commissioner nominee.
