The Benue House of As­sembly yesterday op­posed the planned relo­cation of the Zonal Office of National Examination Council (NECO) from Makurdi to Ilo­rin, Kwara State.

The opposition followed a motion moved by Mr Ianna Jato (PDP-Katsina-Ala), urg­ing the house to condemn the planned relocation of NECO zonal office from Makurdi the Benue capital to Ilorin.

Jato stated that the office in Makurdi was centrally situ­ated, adding that it was serv­ing the following states: Benue, Nasarawa, Plateau, Niger, Kogi and Kwara without hitches. He informed the house that the decision of the planned relo­cation took place in a meeting which was held on Wednesday, March 30.

The motion was seconded by Mr Adam Okloho (APC-Adoka/Ugboju), who stated that there had not been a time that NECO complained of any challenge that it was faced with in the state and wondered why the idea of relocating it to any other location would be con­ceived.

Okloho described the deci­sion as unjust, unfair, illegal and unacceptable to the people of the state.

On his part, Johnson Ahubi (PDP-Otukpo/Akpa), called on senators from Benue to join forces and oppose the planned relocation with all their might and strength while, Mr Ter­hemba Chabo (APC-Gboko West) and Dr Kester Kyenge (PDP-Logo), lamented that most of the Federal Govern­ment establishments in the state were relocated and a few of them that were left were still being contemplated of moving them out of the state leaving the state without any federal presence.

Ruling on the matter, the Speaker, Mr Terkimbi Ikyange, charged the state Ministry of Education, Science and Tech­nology to liaise with relevant agencies in order to halt the implementation of the idea.