From Joseph Uchenna, in Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev Fr Hyacinth Alia has said that political blackmail and emotional outbursts will not derail the ongoing transformation of the state as he remains focused on his mission.
Governor Alia said this through his Chief Press Secretary Tersoo Kula in a statement on Saturday 11th October, 2025 in response to criticism by the opposition Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP over the 100 billion naira loan approved by the State House of Assembly for him.
Alia said that his administration remains steadfast in its commitment to transparent governance, infrastructural renewal, and the welfare of the Benue people, insisting that the loan will not be misused; but invested in projects that directly improve lives, enhance productivity, and restore Benue’s pride as the Food Basket of the Nation.
He said contrary to the PDP propaganda, Benue’s debt profile remains within sustainable limits, and every kobo of the ₦100 billion facility will be tied to verifiable and people-oriented Projects, pointing out that the House of Assembly’s unanimous approval reflects an understanding of the critical infrastructural deficit inherited and confidence in the his capacity to deliver.
He therefore urged the PDP to set aside bitterness and face the reality that Benue is now on a path of responsible governance.
“We read a press statement issued by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Benue chapter through its Publicity Secretary, Hon. Tim Nyor, condemning the approval granted by the Benue State House of Assembly for the State Government to access a ₦100 billion infrastructure loan.
“While the PDP’s outburst is not unexpected, given its history of clueless, reckless governance and mismanagement, it is important to set the record straight for the good people of Benue State who deserve facts, not political propaganda.
The PDP democratized poverty in Benue by its deliberate refusal to pay salaries and pensions, and lack of investment in critical infrastructure that undergird development. In contrast, this is the first time the Governor will be borrowing.
“The ₦100 billion facility recently approved by the Benue State House of Assembly is not a frivolous or politically motivated borrowing but a strategic and development-driven intervention aimed at fast-tracking key infrastructure projects across the state. The details of these projects are public and clearly outlined in the Governor’s request to the Assembly.
“Governor Alia’s administration has demonstrated unparalleled fiscal discipline, transparency, and prudence in managing the state’s resources – a refreshing departure from the wasteful and opaque years of PDP leadership.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP-led administration, especially, especially, that of Samuel Ortom by their own admission, left behind a staggering direct debt burden of ₦187.7 billion, a weight that has constrained the state’s finances and development capacity.
“This administration would later discover that this figure was grossly understated and later uncovered another N170b owed through local government areas. It’s unbelievable that Ortoms administration accumulated this humongous debt and refused to pay civil servants and pensioners their entitlements.
“Furthermore, it is shocking that the Ortom government, after receiving several financial interventions from the Federal Government, including bailout funds, LNG funds and two tranches of the Paris Club debt refund, unexplained direct borrowing, still handed over to Fr. Alia a debt profile of ₦187.7 billion, twelve months’ arrears of salaries for state civil servants, thirteen (10) months’ arrears for local government staff, about thirty-six (36) months’ pension arrears, and a landscape of collapsed infrastructure across the state, bringing the total debt to ₦359 billion.
“The Alia administration has restrained itself from borrowing over the past two years due to the unsustainable debt burden it inherited and has only gone on this route after paying off substantial parts of this debt. Recent figures from the debt management office put Benue’s local debt burden at less than 125 billion Naira as well as substantial reduction in local government debts.
“When Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia assumed office, he did not only clear the backlog of salaries and pensions owed by the Ortom administration, but also graciously paid over five months’ arrears of salaries owed to political appointees of the former Governor; individuals appointed by Ortom himself but abandoned without pay by their principal.
“If the PDP had governed with prudence, transparency, and accountabilit,Benue State would not be in dire need of infrastructural renewal today.
“It is, therefore, the height of hypocrisy for a party that left behind massive debts, salary/pension arrears, and crumbling institutions to now masquerade as champions of fiscal responsibility”,the statement said.
