From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
Benue State Government has formally unveiled a rejigged Sports Marketing and Lottery Board to, among other objectives, generate revenue for the state.
Commissioner for Sports, Youths and Creativity, Rt. Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange while performing the unveiling said the board was created since 2017 following a law passed by the Benue State House of Assembly, (BSHA) with an Executive Secretary was appointed to handle it’s activities.
Ikyange who noted that the board made significant progress in the past said Governor Hyacinth Alia, has repositioned the board by appointing knowledgeable individuals to help deepen the activities of the board thereby, generating revenue for the state.
He said the board members are committed and determined to ensure that the mandate which the governor has given them is accomplished.
He said “We as a ministry, and with the board under us, we will support their commitment to duty and also to announce to everybody that there is a force on ground to ensure that every activity that leads to sport marketing, betting, lottery and other associated activities are done in accordance with the laws of the state.
“It is on this note that we are here to formally unveil this signage so that the public will know that we are in serious business, that the board has come to stay and it is going to work very hard to the development of the state.”
The Executive Secretary of the Board Micheal Uper
He noted the need for the state to explore the gaming sector, saying the state government is poised to lift the revenue generation of the state up to date as it is supposed to to be in other states.
Being that the national lottery board has been scrapped, the Federal Government lacks the power to decide for the federating states concerning the lottery sector, so all the states are getting prepared on how to explore the avenue to their advantage.