It appears the Federal University, Lafia, Nasarawa State, has withdrew its initial decision to honour Benue State Governor, Samuel Ortom for “his enormous contributions to the development of education.” This is as the award which was scheduled for Tuesday, 26th October, 2021, had come and gone and the Governor was not listed among the awardees.
A media aide to the Governor, Jimin Geoffrey, had earlier claimed in a statement released on Monday that the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Shehu Abdulrahman, has sent a letter to Governor Ortom intimating him of the decision of the university to award him for his “outstanding contributions to the development of education.”
The statement titled, ‘FEDERAL UNIVERSITY LAFIA HONOURS GOV ORTOM OCT 26’ partly read, “The award presentation will be done at the 3rd Annual National Conference of the Faculty of Sciences of the university on Tuesday, 26th October, 2021 by 10am with the “National Security, COVID-19 and Social Issues in Nigeria.”
“According to a letter to Governor Ortom and signed by the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Shehu Abdulrahman, the award is in recognition of the Governor’s outstanding contributions to the development of education.”
However, KemiFilaniNews gathered that Governor Ortom’s name was inexplicably missing from the list of awardees at the award ceremony on Tuesday.
Reliable sources said the Governor’s name was removed by the award Committee. A move that has been widely applauded by some pundits in Benue State.
The pundits wondered that “of what merit is it to award a Governor who is owing teachers several months salary arrears an award for outstanding contribution to the development of education?”.
They urged other award organizers to learn from the award committee of the Federal University of Lafia, in order to maintain the prestige of awards in the country.
KemiFilaniNews reports that Governor Ortom administration is owing Benue civil servants several months salary arrears and also the state’s pensioners are being owed over 30 months pension arrears. The retirees protested last month blocking major roads in the State Capital.