Ortom conducts groundbreaking ceremony of BENGIS

Rose Ejembi Makurdi

Governor Samuel Ortom on Wednesday conducted the groundbreaking ceremony of the Benue State Geographic Information Service (BENGIS) with a call on the people of tjr State to embrace and key into the project.

Ortom said the project would address the numerous challenges that are associated with Land Administration in the State as well as support improved Urban Planning, infrastructural development, environmental management among others.

While noting that the Land Use Act Cap L5, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 vests all land in the territory of a State in the Governor of the State to be held in trust and administered for the use and common benefit of all Nigerians in accordance with the provisions of the Act. 

He added that, "the powers given to the Governor in connection with this trust and administration include; control and management of all land in the Urban areas, designation of Urban areas, granting of Statutory Rights of Occupancy, granting of Easements, demanding and revision of Rents, power to enter and inspect, power to give consent for mortgage and other transactions, power to revoke Rights  of occupancy, and power to delegate. 

"The above functions of the Governor as it relates to Land Administration in the State cannot be realized without the availability of geospatial information."

He explained that the Benue State Geographic Information Service will operate throughout the entire State with a service centre in Makurdi, the State capital, and additional service points in Gboko, Otukpo and Adikpo. 

"Globally, there is a growing concern for spatial information for sustainable resource inventory, planning, development and distribution. Spatial data is relevant to visualize current situations, predict impacts and enhance service delivery. 

"No doubt therefore that geospatial data is needed to facilitate the achievement of any Sustainable Development Programme. Hence to enhance good governance in this modern era, modern facilities such as the Benue State Geographic Information Service (BENGIS) need to be provided for improved and informed decision makingas well as policy formulation." 

The Governor maintained that with the modern land Information Management Technology (BENGIS) adopted by the State, land disputes like the one recently resolved with my intervention, between the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) and the host communities of Ugondo and Mbaivur will be a thing of the past. 


He therefore charged all relevant Government Staff that would be involved in the venture through training, operation of facilities and maintenance to be diligent, focused and take full advantage of the BENGIS facilities to upgrade their skills which would impact on the quality of their services to the public.

 Earlier in his welcome speech, Commissioner for Lands and Survey, Bernard Unenge posited that the project would not only revolutionalise Land administration in the State; but will ensure permanent solution to challenges associated with the acquisition, registration and documentation of Land in the State as well as issuance of title documents.