By Titus Atondu, Makurdi
The Executive Chairman of Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State, Hon. Raphael Yange, has highlighted major achievements of his administration in infrastructure, education, healthcare, youth empowerment and security since assuming office.
Yange, who was elected chairman on October 5, 2024, presented a 24-point scorecard on Tuesday during a facility assessment tour of the 23 local government areas of the state by journalists.
The tour, led by the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Benue State Council, Bemdoo Ugber, took the journalists to the Tarka Local Government Secretariat in Wannune, where the chairman outlined the administration’s interventions.
Yange said his administration had prioritised people-oriented projects designed to improve living conditions and ensure that the impact of governance was felt across the wards and communities.
A major area of intervention, according to him, is rural electrification, with the council installing a 500KVA transformer at Zongo and repairing existing transformers in communities that had been without electricity for years.
He said electrification projects were also ongoing in Pipeline, Aso and Cherrywood, while the installation of another transformer at Tse Agbuku in Mbaikyaa Council Ward was nearing completion.
The chairman also listed the renovation of his office and official quarters as part of the council’s urban renewal efforts.
He added that solar-powered streetlights had been installed along the Secretariat road, within the council premises and around the Chairman’s Quarters to improve security and enhance the environment at night.
Other infrastructure projects, he said, included the rehabilitation of blocks at the Tarka Senior Staff Quarters in Wannune and renovation of VIP toilets at Wannune Market Square to promote public hygiene.
In transportation and logistics, the council repaired three buses — the ambulance, legislative bus and sports bus — as well as two tractors to support healthcare delivery, legislative activities and agriculture.
The administration also tackled water shortages through the drilling and installation of a solar-powered borehole at Nyambee and two electrically powered boreholes at Aboho.
Yange said 22 existing boreholes across the council’s wards had also been rehabilitated to provide residents with access to clean water.
On road infrastructure, he disclosed that the council constructed the Ukyough Bridge under the RAAM-BN Programme and graded the Nyambe-Ukyough rural road, providing a link between Tarka and Guma Local Government Area and facilitating the movement of people and farm produce.
The council has also constructed a badminton pitch at the Chairman’s Quarters as part of efforts to promote grassroots sports development.
In the health sector, Yange said his administration had institutionalised the Benue State University Teaching Hospital (BSUTH) Annex in Tarka through the resuscitation and upgrading of the Ijorimenger Special Primary Health Care Centre.
He said the council donated electric bikes to 10 councillors and the Ijorimenger SPHC, now operating as the BSUTH Annex, to improve mobility and access to communities.
Education, according to him, also received significant attention, with more than 400 youths trained under a newly introduced skills acquisition programme covering various trades and vocations.
The council also awarded scholarships to 120 students at the primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
Yange further disclosed that the council sponsored free registration for the 2026 Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examination for 400 Tarka indigenes.
In addition, 10,000 exercise books were distributed to pupils and students across schools in the local government, while the 2025 Children’s Day celebration was organised for pupils and students across the area.
The chairman said the council’s computer unit had also been equipped and upgraded to strengthen digital record-keeping and improve service delivery.
As part of efforts to strengthen political structures, Yange said the administration provided and donated a secretariat to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Tarka.
Security Remains Priority
On security, the chairman claimed that Tarka had recorded what he described as a “100 per cent success,” stressing that no Tarka indigene had lost his or her life to a herdsmen-related attack since his administration assumed office.
He attributed the relative peace in the area to sustained collaboration between the council, security agencies, traditional rulers and community stakeholders.
Yange said the projects and programmes were implemented prudently and aligned with the development agenda of Governor Hyacinth Alia, particularly in infrastructure renewal and human capital development.
“Within one year, we have touched power, water, roads, health, education and youth development. Our goal is to ensure that governance is felt in every ward and village,” he said.
The NUJ chairman, Ugber, commended the council leadership for opening its facilities and records to journalists for assessment, describing the initiative as an important step towards promoting transparency and accountability at the grassroots.
With several projects completed and others ongoing across key sectors, the Yange administration is positioning its first phase in office around infrastructure development, human capital investment and improved security as it consolidates its programmes in Tarka Local Government Area.
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