The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue State Council, has inspected the ongoing reconstruction of the proposed operational facility of the newly approved Nigerian Army base in Oju Local Government Area of the state, describing the project as a major step in the direction of strengthening security in the area.
The inspection was led by the Chairman, State Council of the NUJ, Bemdoo Ugber as part of the union’s ongoing assessment tour of all the 23 Local Government Areas in Benue State.
Ugber, speaking at the project site, expressed satisfaction with the quality of renovation work being carried out on the old NRC building, which is being converted to a temporary operational base for the Army.
He urged the people to cooperate with the security agencies to secure the facility and appealed to the Oju Local Government Council to provide more temporary structures to facilitate the military operations.
He said the new Army base is expected to deepen troops presence, improve response time to security threats and enhance protection of lives and properties in Oju and its environs.
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After the military facility, the NUJ delegation also visited some development projects undertaken by the Oju Local Government Council under the leadership of the Chairman, Jackson Adah Ominyi.
Ugber also listed counterpart funding for the Oju–Awajir Road project, construction of a police post in Idelle, renovation of the Chairman’s Quarters and development of the Main Garage at Ihiejwo in Oju Main Market as among its key interventions.
He also disclosed that the road to the Oju Local Government Secretariat was included in the state’s five-kilometre road program.
On governance, the Council Chairman expressed optimism that the restoration of local government financial autonomy would fast-track project delivery across Oju.
Ugber stressed that the NUJ tour was not meant to witch-hunt any council administration, but to independently document achievements, identify challenges and promote accountability by drawing the attention of relevant authorities to issues of public concern.