“…there is no hidden fact that the internally generated revenue of the state has steadily improved from about N800m monthly in 2023 to about N3 Billion. These numbers are also available in government published records”.
BY TERSOO KULA
The Factional Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has issued a statement, wherein, it questioned the fiscal discipline of the Governor Alia-led administration.
Funnily, one needs not read the statement twice to decipher that it is a recycled political script designed to distract the good people of the state from the immeasurable progress recorded by Governor Hyacinth Alia within three years in office.
The Mohammed Abdulrahman faction of the party in the state claimed that “despite reportedly receiving over N1.2 trillion within the last three years,” there is no meaningful development in State.
Sadly, the group’s only intent about the N1.2 trillion claim and financial transparency is to misrepresent facts and figures. This is because budgets all over are run on cash flows, loans, grants and aid.
Perhaps, since their recent past was a hub for the mumble-jumble system, the shredded umbrella party still mistakes grants and aid as cash flows, which has never been the case.
For instance, the Benue State Budget performances over three years reflects 61.6% (2023); 64.8% (2024) and 81% (2025). Taking an average of over three years, we have a performance of 69.1% from 2023 to 2025.
And it is important to stress that over the three years of the Alia administration, the Benue State Budget inclusive of FAAC, IGR, grants, Aid and loans, (termed Discretionary and Non-Discretionary funds) were Approved at N179.7b (2023), N373.1b (2024) and N550.1b (2025), which aggregated to 1.1trillion.
Non-Discretionary funds are grants and aid, which come in the form of kind or health commodities, interventions by donors, etc that are not really cash backed, or cash budget. Most of the times, the funds come in terms of provision of counterpart funding to enable draw down of such items or commodities, which the State has no absolute control over.
It is also worthy to note that Approved Budgets do not amount to the actual amount gotten in a year, and the average budget performance is calculated (whether cash flow or non-discretionary).
Therefore, the actual amount realized as State inflows in terms of Discretionary and Non- Discretionary funds that the State is in receipt of is 69.1% of N1.1trillion, which if calculated comes to 762.8b. (Note, this is inclusive of grants, which comes in items or commodities) over the three-year period). This is an indication that the State could not realize 30.9% of her projections.
Interestingly, the loans left by the same PDP government under Ortom, which amounts to 359.6b are still being serviced on a regular basis, with some deductions carried out from source. (Some in the form of judgment debts or garnishees).
This is why Governor Alia always emphasize that he is pinching the pennies. Because with N762b over three years, if you subtract non-discretionary funds of about N280 billion in three years, one is left with about N562b cash backed or cash budget or Discretionary funds for three years, to offset a loan profile of N359.6billion; pay salaries, run overheads, and fight insecurity (which is really expensive).
And if not for mischief from the frayed umbrella party, this information is within the public domain on the State’s website. But unfortunately, the party prefers to fabricate information and send them out as facts to the unsuspecting public.
On the issue of Security and IDPs in the state, the claim by the PDP that “Insecurity has worsened alarmingly,” ignores context and data. The results may not be as wholesome as expected, but there is an improvement. The Alia administration inherited a state where 17 Local Governments areas were under consistent attacks by terrorists. But the government’s coordinated operations with federal security agencies has reopened key roads, enabled farming activities to resume in multiple LGAs, and facilitated the gradual return of some displaced persons.
Also, the establishment of new IDPs support centers is a humanitarian response to resettle people previously abandoned, not evidence of rising displacement. Unlike the past, when IDPs were weaponized for politics, this government is investing in security infrastructure, patrol vehicles, and community policing to address the root causes.
Also, on the allegations that “governance at the grassroots has virtually collapsed, while citizens continue to suffer from poor infrastructure and economic hardship,” the party must be reminded that within three years of the Alia led government, the Governor has rehabilitated over 300km of rural roads in addition to over 225km of intra-city roads. Governor Alia has also rehabilitated and erected new structures at the Fr. Adasu University Teaching Hospital, upgraded over 50 Primary Healthcare Centres across the state, reconstructed and built over 400 structures in primary schools across the state, constructed two interchanges (underpass) in Gboko and Makurdi, restored water works at Otobi amongst very many others. All these projects are visible and not fake as was the case when the PDP was in power.
On Loans and Debts, we were all here when borrowings were a regular occurrence during the PDP years. The party left Benue with over N187 billion in verified debts (exclusive of contractual liabilities, judgement debts and other questionable liabilities). What were the huge borrowings during the time for?
But, unlike the opaque loans of 2015–2023 that funded little or no projects, Governor Alia has always stated that any loan taken will be project-specific, and will be used for projects such rural roads and agricultural mechanization schemes. Therefore, any facility accessed by the Alia administration has been tied to specific infrastructure, with approvals from the Benue State House of Assembly and disclosure to the DMO. The audited reports have been consistently published for the public.
Again, there is no hidden fact that the state’s monthly allocation like other States has improved under the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led government, from an average of N8 billion monthly in 2023 to an average of N15B currently. This information is also available from the FAAC Secretariat and the Federal Ministry of Finance.
On the amount paid as salaries, this same PDP administration had shortly before it left office in 2023, circulated a salary wage bill of N7 billion. A few months into his administration, Governor Alia had addressed the press where he said almost N2b monthly savings were made after a payroll audit.
Today, there is a full implementation of a new minimum wage of N75,000, full implementation of 40% salary increase for university lecturers, establishment of a new university in Ihugh and implementation of new salaries for various categories of workers.
Again, there is no hidden fact that the internally generated revenue of the state has steadily improved from about N800m monthly in 2023 to about N3 Billion. These numbers are also available in government published records.
We therefore, urge the divided party to put its house in order, concentrate more on redeeming its bad image before the Benue people, rather than attempting to undermine Governor Alia’s laudable strides in the state.
…Sir Tersoo Kula is the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Benue State.
