Samuel Ioraer Ortom is the current governor of Benue state, he was born on 23 April 1961, Guma Local Government Area of Benue State, Nigeria).He attended 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. He was admitted into Idah Sec
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 got into the Gboko motor park as a tout. He was later employed as a professional driver to Pa Samu Ihugh.
He later enrolment into the National School of Salesmanship, Manchester, where he obtained the General Certificate of Education (GCE) as well as a diploma in salesmanship.
He thereafter 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.
He 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)
He is a recipient of several awards, including Best Performing Local Government chairman, 1992; those of the Nigeria Union of Teachers and Nigeria Labour Congress in Benue State, as well as the Selfless Service Award by the National Union of Benue State Students, University of Calabar. He was also given special recognition by the Nigeria Union of Road Transport Workers at the national level.
He is an industrialist, farmer, businessman, politician, philanthropist, administrator and employer.
