Benue State Governor Hyacinth Alia has constituted a five-member Benue State Primary Health Care Board and approved 23 new appointments to fill positions left vacant by appointees who resigned from his administration, according to a statement from Government House on Monday. The announcement comes at a busy moment in the state’s politics, with public attention also fixed on the N200 billion fraud allegation and the debate that followed it, and it touches two things that matter to ordinary residents: how basic healthcare is run, and whether government offices are fully staffed.
- Governor Hyacinth Alia has set up a five-member Benue State Primary Health Care Board (BSPHCB).
- Dr Tolough Godfrey is Chairman. Dr Kadev Kenneth Kelvin is Executive Secretary.
- Three zonal members represent Zones A, B and C.
- The governor also approved 23 replacement appointments across advisory, administrative and board roles.
- All appointments take immediate effect, according to the statement.
The statement was signed by Sir Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor. It describes the two sets of appointments as a response to two needs: strengthening the state’s primary healthcare administration, and making sure the daily work of government continues without interruption. The statement did not name the appointees who resigned, and it gave no reasons for their departure.
What the Governor Announced
The press release has two parts. The first creates a new governing board for primary healthcare in the state. The second fills 23 posts that had become vacant. Both take effect at once, so the new officeholders can begin work without any waiting period.
Primary healthcare is the first level of the health system. It is where most people in Nigeria first meet a nurse, a community health worker or a doctor. In Benue, as in the rest of the country, that first contact usually happens at a local health centre rather than a large hospital. Because of this, the body that supervises those centres has a direct effect on whether a mother gets safe delivery care, whether a child gets vaccinated, and whether a family can find treatment for common illnesses close to home.
The governor said the appointments reflect his decision to strengthen the state’s primary healthcare administration and ensure continuity in government operations. In practical terms, that means a board with named leaders on one side and a set of newly filled offices on the other.
Who Is on the New Primary Health Care Board?
The five-member board is made up as follows:
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Dr Tolough Godfrey | Chairman |
| Dr Kadev Kenneth Kelvin | Executive Secretary |
| Hon. Chiangi Anongu | Member, representing Zone A |
| Mr Gabriel Ugber | Member, representing Zone B |
| Dr Obeka Ochim Jo-Lewis | Member, representing Zone C |
The structure follows a pattern common in Nigerian state boards, where the chairman provides policy oversight while the executive secretary manages day-to-day operations. The inclusion of one member each from Zones A, B and C is also notable. Benue is often discussed in terms of its three senatorial zones, and spreading board seats across them is a familiar way of giving each part of the state a voice in decisions that affect local health centres.
Three of the five members carry the title “Dr”, which suggests a board with a strong medical or health-sector profile. The statement did not, however, give the career backgrounds of any board member, nor did it list the board’s terms of reference or tenure. Readers who want to know exactly what the board will be responsible for will need to wait for those details, which are normally set out in the law or instrument that establishes a primary health care board.
Why Primary Healthcare Matters So Much in Benue
To understand why a board appointment can be significant, it helps to look at what primary health care centres do. They provide routine immunisation, antenatal and postnatal care, delivery services, treatment of malaria and other common infections, health education and referrals to bigger hospitals when a case is beyond their capacity. For many rural families, they are the only health facility within reach.
Benue is a large, mostly agricultural state with many communities far from the main towns. That geography makes strong local clinics essential. A farming family that has to travel a long distance on poor roads to reach care is far more likely to delay treatment, and delayed treatment can turn a manageable illness into an emergency.
An investigation published in 2024 by the Frontline Investigative Program, and republished by CheckMyPHC, examined several health centres in Gboko and described serious shortages of staff and basic facilities. According to that report, none of the facilities visited met half of the national minimum standards for primary health care centres. Another report, by the Rural Community Development and Investigative Journalism group, described residents in one community who relied on a health centre at the end of a 70-kilometre unpaved road. These reports pre-date the new board, and they show the scale of the work ahead. They also show why the quality of leadership at the top of the system is watched so closely.
What the Alia Administration Says It Has Already Done
The new board arrives after several years of government activity on primary healthcare. The Federal Information Centre in Makurdi reported that Governor Alia had engaged partners to rehabilitate 104 comprehensive and primary health centres across the state’s 23 local government areas, with support from the World Bank-backed IMPACT project and the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, which is facilitated by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency, as published on the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation website.
Separately, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the state’s Commissioner for Health and Human Services, Dr Yanmar Ortese, said about 98 primary health centres were being revitalised at the same time across the state, as part of efforts to reduce maternal deaths and illness, in a report available on the NAN website. Different reports use slightly different figures, and this is common when projects run in phases or are funded by more than one source. Readers should treat the numbers as the totals reported by the officials and agencies quoted, not as an independent count by DAILY TALK.
On maternal health, the state government earlier directed primary health centres in all 23 local government areas to deliver babies free of charge and began distributing free delivery kits known as “Mama Kits” to expectant mothers, according to a report by Newstrends. The same report quoted the then Executive Secretary of the board as saying the aim was to revitalise primary health centres in all 276 wards.
The administration has also spoken about the wider health system. A report on the Leadership newspaper website quoted the governor, through his deputy, as saying that 384 of more than 1,000 primary health centres in the state had been fixed. Those figures suggest that a large share of the work was, at the time of that report, still to be done.
Taken together, these reports describe a government that has put money and attention into physical upgrades and into free maternal services. They also show that the question of who manages those assets, and how well, is now at the centre of the debate. That is the gap the new board is expected to fill.
Where the Rural Picture Meets Security
Running health services in a state like Benue is not only a question of buildings and budgets. Security conditions in some areas can affect whether health workers can reach their posts and whether patients can safely travel to a clinic. Communities in the Sankera axis, for example, have been at the centre of recent public discussion about peace and security, as seen in our report on the Sankera standoff and the appeal for criminals to surrender. Where people live with insecurity, even a well-equipped clinic can struggle to serve its community.
This does not mean that the new board is responsible for security. It does mean that the board will be working in an environment where access to care depends on many factors outside the health sector. Good planning will need to take that into account, including how supplies reach distant clinics and how staff are posted and supported.
The 23 Replacement Appointments: Full List
The second part of the announcement fills 23 positions. According to the Government House statement, these roles were previously held by appointees who resigned from the administration. The full list is below, exactly as set out in the release.
| # | Name | Appointment |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hon. Jonathan Iyoo Igbondo | Special Adviser on Unions and Labour Relations |
| 2 | Rt. Hon. Dickson Ocheokwoi Benjamin Ohaa | Special Adviser on Works, Housing and Urban Development |
| 3 | Engr. Iko Benjamin | Special Adviser on International Investment |
| 4 | Micheal Nyamtsam Mtseve | Special Adviser on Special Duties and Intergovernmental Affairs |
| 5 | Akaavah Augustine Liam | Director General, Social Investment |
| 6 | Ahil Fabian Luvin | Personal Security Assistant, Protocol and Wardrobe |
| 7 | Attah Mark Ochoga | Personal Special Assistant on Digital Economy and Job Creation |
| 8 | Hon. Eric Ameh | Senior Special Assistant on Administration, Office of the Deputy Governor |
| 9 | Agbanyi David Sixtus | Senior Special Assistant on Rehabilitation Centre, Apir |
| 10 | Hon. Linda Ene Dirisu | Coordinator, Benue State Sexual Assault Referral Centre |
| 11 | Dr Abutu Tolbert Tordue | Director of Research, Benue State Planning Commission |
| 12 | John Mimi Ihyembe | Personal Special Assistant on Local Government Area Coordination and Monitoring |
| 13 | Linus Madugu | Member, Benue Investment and Property Company Board |
| 14 | Hon. Unongo Simon | Government Liaison Officer, Guma Local Government Area |
| 15 | Hon. Ikyereve Benjamin Aondonenge | Government Liaison Officer, Tarka Local Government Area |
| 16 | Igba Terna Dominic | Personal Assistant, Office of the Chief of Staff |
| 17 | Ayongol Terhemen Abraham | Personal Assistant on Youth and Media Mobilisation |
| 18 | Terzungwe Yina | Special Adviser on Sanitation |
| 19 | Mrs Maureen Hembadoon Iortyer | Government Liaison Officer, Makurdi Local Government Area |
| 20 | Jacob Tertsea Agede | Special Adviser on Agriculture |
| 21 | Mr Andy Terfa Agbavanger | Secretary, Benue Independent Electoral Commission |
| 22 | Hon. Patience Erube | Personal Special Assistant, Protocol, Office of the Deputy Governor |
| 23 | Dr Apenda Isaac Tersoo | Executive Secretary, Benue State Scholarship Board |
A Closer Look at the Appointments
The list covers a wide range of offices. Some are policy advisory roles, such as the Special Advisers on Works, Housing and Urban Development, on Agriculture, on Sanitation, and on International Investment. Others are administrative or support roles, including personal assistants in the offices of the Chief of Staff and the Deputy Governor. A few lead public institutions, among them the Benue State Scholarship Board, the Benue Independent Electoral Commission and the Benue State Sexual Assault Referral Centre.
Several positions are tied to local government areas. The release names Government Liaison Officers for Guma, Tarka and Makurdi. These officers typically act as a link between the state government and the local councils, passing information in both directions. Filling these posts could help the state government stay in closer contact with communities, which is useful for projects such as health centre rehabilitation that are carried out in local areas.
The Special Adviser on Sanitation is another post with an indirect link to public health. Sanitation, which includes waste disposal, clean water and hygiene, is closely connected to the spread of many common illnesses. A functioning sanitation office can support the work that clinics do by reducing the number of preventable cases that reach them.
The Coordinator of the Benue State Sexual Assault Referral Centre also deserves mention. These centres provide medical care, counselling and support to survivors of sexual violence. The post is a reminder that the health and welfare of vulnerable residents extends beyond the clinic and into specialised services.
Two appointments relate to the electoral and education sectors: the Secretary of the Benue Independent Electoral Commission and the Executive Secretary of the Benue State Scholarship Board. Both institutions affect large numbers of people, one through local elections and the other through student support. Having full-time leadership in place is generally seen as better for planning and day-to-day decisions than leaving offices open.
The Governor’s Message to the New Appointees
After congratulating the appointees, Governor Alia told them that their appointments underscore his administration’s commitment to maintaining an effective government structure. He said vacant positions should not create gaps in the delivery of public services.
He also gave direct instructions. The appointees, he said, must study the vision of the administration and work strictly in line with its direction and principles. And he told them to always put the interest of the state first in all official undertakings.
The statement ended by saying the appointments are expected to strengthen coordination and service delivery across the affected offices and institutions. In plain language, the government is saying that people in these posts are expected to deliver results, and that the state expects them to work as a team with the rest of the administration.
Why Filling Vacant Offices Matters
Public offices that stay vacant for long periods can slow down the work of government. Files wait for signatures, projects wait for approvals, and officials in other departments may not know who to contact. When posts are filled, those delays become less likely, and citizens or partners who deal with the government have a clear point of contact.
This is especially true in areas where several agencies must cooperate. Take the example of a health centre rehabilitation project. It may involve the works and housing office, the health ministry, the primary health care board, the local government and sometimes international partners. If one link in that chain is empty, the whole project can stall. By naming people to both the new health board and the affected offices on the same day, the state government appears to be trying to close those gaps at once.
That said, appointments alone do not guarantee results. They are a starting point. What matters afterwards is whether the new officeholders have clear targets, enough funding and the freedom to do their jobs. Observers often look at these three factors when judging whether a new board or office is likely to succeed.
What to Watch Next
Because the statement is short on operational details, several questions remain open. These are the issues that residents, health workers and civil society groups are likely to follow closely.
- Mandate and powers. What exactly will the board oversee, and how will its work relate to the state Ministry of Health and Human Services and to the National Primary Health Care Development Agency?
- Funding. Primary healthcare depends on a mix of state money, federal transfers such as the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund, and support from development partners. Clarity on how funds will be managed will matter.
- Staffing. Past reports have pointed to shortages of trained health workers at many centres. Whether the board can help address this is a key test.
- Transparency. Regular public updates on completed health centres, services offered and patient numbers would help residents judge progress for themselves.
- Timelines. The statement gave no deadlines. People will want to know when the board will begin sitting and when the first results can be expected.
DAILY TALK has not received any reaction from the board members or the 23 appointees at the time of publication. We will update this report when further statements are made available.
