Governor Samuel Ioraer Ortom

Chief Dr. Samuel Ioraer Ortom (born 23 April 1961, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria) is a Nigerian industrialist, farmer, businessman, politician, philanthropist, administrator and employer. He was enrolled into the St. John's Primary School, Gboko, in 1970 but moved to St. Catherine's Primary School, Makurdi, in 1974, where he completed primary education in 1976. Chief Dr. Ortom was admitted into Idah Secondary Commercial College, Idah, in Kogi State in 1976. He did two years in the school before his father's retirement in 1979 brought an abrupt end to his dream of completing formal secondary school education on account of inability to pay school fees. Shortly before this happened, he had given his life to Jesus Christ. However, instead of idling away at home to mourn his fate he girded his loins and got into the Gboko motor park as a tout. It was in the park that a Good Samaritan taught him how to drive because of his honesty and dedication to duty. Another helped him to obtain a driver's license, and soon after he became employed as a professional driver. On recommendation he became the driver and confidant of a prominent Gboko-based Christian leader and politician, Pa Samu Ihugh.

One day after close of work he hung around voluntarily in the house of his boss waiting, in his usual manner, to see whether his services might still be required. That wait opened a chapter in his life that has contributed greatly in raising him up to his present status. While he was sitting on a bench outside the house, the wind blew a piece of paper which was an advert for enrolment into the National School of Salesmanship, Manchester, towards him. He picked it, read, and decided to enroll for it by correspondence, thus launching himself into the world of acquiring knowledge and certificates by correspondence. In this manner he obtained the General Certificate of Education (GCE) as well as a diploma in salesmanship.

Chief Dr. Ortom enrolled at the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and obtained both the Interim Joint Matriculation Board Certificate in 1995 and a diploma in journalism in 1998. He also attended the Benue State University, where he obtained the Advanced Diploma in Personnel Management in 2001 as well as a Master of Public Administration in 2004. Dr. Ortom crowned his educational pursuit with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), from the Commonwealth University, Belize, through distance learning.

His working experience spans the private, public, and political spheres. He rose from salesman to sales manager with Gyado Foods Co. Limited, before his election as Executive Chairman of Guma Local Government Area from 1991 to 1993 on the platform of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

In the political sphere he has been State Publicity Secretary of the National Centre Party of Nigeria (NCPN); State Treasurer of the All People's Party (APP); and State Secretary as well as Deputy Chairman of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), all in Benue State. Dr. Ortom was also Director of Operations of the PDP gubernatorial campaign in Benue State in 2007 and Director of Administration and Logistics of the Goodluck/Sambo Presidential Campaign Organization in 2011. He was PDP National Auditor before his appointment as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in July 2011.

In April 2015, he contested for Governor of Benue State and won under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC)