Here are some interesting facts to learn about the new Governor-elect of Benue State, Chief Dr. Samuel Ioraer Ortom:
1. He was born on 23 April, 1961 in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.
2. Sadly, he was forced to drop out of Idah Secondary Commercial College, Benue in the late 1970s after his father’s death left him unable to pay the tuition fees. To survive, he worked as a tout in Gboko Motor Park.
3. He successfully rose to prominence, occupying the following positions in Benue State: State Publicity Secretary of the National Centre Party of Nigeria, NCPN; State Treasurer of the All Peoples Party, APP; and State Secretary as well as Deputy Chairman of the PDP.
4. In 2007, he served as the Director of Operations of the PDP gubernatorial campaign in Benue State. He was appointed as the Director of Administration and Logistics of the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organization in 2011.
5. As an entrepreneur, Chief Ortom is the proprietor and chairman of Oracle Business Limited. This conglomerate comprises Goshen Water, Oracle Oil Mills, Oracle Printing Press, and Oracle Farms. He is also the founder of the Oracle Business Limited Foundation which is aimed at empowering business owners.
6. Dr. Ortom is also a multiple award recipient, with awards including the Best Performing Local Government chairman, 1992 and the Selfless Service Award by the National Union of Benue State Students, University of Calabar.
7. He was appointed the Minister of State, Industry, Trade and Investment in 2011.
8. He participated in the PDP gubernatorial primaries in Benue in 2014 but lost. This encouraged his defection to APC, which according to Vanguard Newspaper, was welcomed by Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, who saw him as a promising candidate for the governorship seat.
9. He eventually won the 2015 gubernatorial elections in Benue State, ending PDP’s 16 years of rule in the state. According to Premium Times, he received 422,932 votes, beating seven other contestants.
Photo Credit: Benuepage.net
About the Writer: Ify Halim is a writer and media enthusiast based in Lagos. She enjoys writing self-help/inspirational articles with published work in UYD Magazine, Edufrica, Our Stories Inc. and The Keele Concourse. She currently works at ConnectNigeria.com, Nigeria’s Information Portal. Follow her on Twitter @MissHalim or visit her online space at
ifyhalim.wordpress.com
