Sh*ck In Benue! Assembly Rejects Commissioner Nominee Over Student Abuse Scandal

The Benue State House of Assembly has rejected the nomination of Timothy Ornguga as a Commissioner following allegations of misconduct from his former students at Benue State University.

The petitions accused Ornguga of dehumanisation, academic victimisation, and psychological abuse during his tenure as a lecturer.

Ornguga, along with another nominee, James Dwen, failed the screening exercise after lawmakers deemed their responses to the allegations unsatisfactory.

As a result, the Assembly has asked Governor Hyacinth Alia to submit two new nominees to fill the vacant commissioner slots.

Meanwhile, six other nominees were successfully confirmed. They are: Theresa Odachi, Benjamin Ashaver, Adamu Margaret, Peter Oboh, Denis Iyaighgba, and Paul Ogwuche.

The Speaker of the House urged the approved commissioners to carry out their duties with faithfulness and dedication to the people.

Ornguga’s nomination had faced stiff opposition from multiple quarters, including petitions from the Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) and alumni groups of Benue State University. Petitioners cited cases where students were allegedly failed unjustly or had their academic progress deliberately delayed due to Ornguga’s actions.

This development comes after Governor Alia dissolved the state executive council on July 30, appointing Moses Atagher, a former Attorney General, as his new Chief of Staff. Outgoing commissioners were directed to hand over to permanent secretaries while remaining active in party activities.