Benue Commissioner dies

The Benue State Commissioner for Rural Development and Cooperatives, Mr. Aondowase Chia, has passed away.

Chia died at the age of 46, in the early hours of Wednesday, March 4, Punch reports.

According to report, the previous day, March 3, he had presented his ministry’s 2015 budget before the Benue State House of Assembly without any sign of illness.

On getting to his office, he could not stand from his chair and was rushed to the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi where he died. He is believed to have died of stroke.

Benue state commisioner, Mr. Aondowase Chia

Chia is survived by his wife and eight children.

He is the second commissioner in the ministry to die in office under the administration of Governor Gabriel Suswam.

Atorto Girgi, an indigene of Ushongo Local Government Area of the state, as the ministry’s commissioner, died in active service over three years ago.

Prof. Saint Gbilekaa, Chief of Staff to the Governor, who led members of the state executive council on a sympathy visit to the family of the deceased in Makurdi, described the death as sad and very unfortunate.

The deceased was first appointed commissioner for Youths and Sports in 2011 and was later moved to the ministry of Rural Development and Cooperatives in 2013 where he stayed until his demise.

May his soul rest in peace, amen.

There has been a lot of sudden death in recent times. In January, the lifeless body of one of the female accountants at the Lagos State Sports Council was found lying on the floor of the office.

That same month, a  reporter from the Bauchi State Television Authority (BATV), Malam Ibrahim Aliyu, slumped and died while working on a story at the Government House, Bauch