The Benue State Government on Saturday, October 11, 2025, declared that the administration of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has demonstrated unparalleled fiscal discipline, transparency, and prudence in managing the state’s resources, a clear and refreshing departure from the wasteful and opaque years of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leadership in the state.
The State Government which stated this while responding to a statement issued by the PDP in the Stater which condemned the approval granted by the Benue State House of Assembly for the Government to access a ₦100 billion infrastructure loan, stressed that Governor Alia has made his acknowledged massive strides in development through prudent management of scarce resources and ingenious financial engineering.
It emphasised that the Alia administration has restrained itself from borrowing over the past two years due to the unsustainable debt burden it inherited from the Samuel Ortom-led administration and has only decided to borrow after paying off substantial parts of this debt.
The Government said that recent figures from the debt management office has now put Benue’s local debt burden at less than 125 billion Naira and a substantial reduction in local government debts.
These were contained in a statement by Sir Tersoo Kula, Chief Press Secretary to the Benue State Governor, in which he noted that while the PDP’s outburst was 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, as against political propaganda.
Kula noted that it is on record that Benue state was adjudged the worst state in fiscal responsibility in the country under the PDP government and also consistently scored last in capital projects nationwide.
He further said that 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, stressing that in contrast, this is the first time Governor Alia, who has been nicknamed ‘Mr. 25th’ by civil servants and pensioners for his consistency in upsetting their welfare packages, will be borrowing.
The spokesman to the governor explained that 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.
Kula further said that the details of the projects are public and clearly outlined in the Governor’s request to the Assembly, emphasising that among other things, the loan is intended to finance the renovation and equipping of General Hospitals across the state to strengthen the health sector and improve tertiary healthcare delivery and for the renovation and construction of science schools statewide to reposition education and promote technical learning.
Others, Kula said include, the completion of ongoing roads, bridges, drainages, and electricity projects abandoned by previous administrations and building of skills acquisition centers to tackle youth unemployment through vocational training as well as the construction and equipping of smart schools in all federal constituencies across the state to modernize learning.
According to Kula, the loan would also finance the development of infrastructure at the Benue State University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Ihugh – a transformative educational project that will diversify the state’s economy and open new opportunities for innovation and the development of industrial clusters in the state.
In the words of Kula; “It is, therefore, grossly misleading for the PDP to describe this laudable, well-intended developmental initiative as a “reckless fiscal adventure.”
“For the avoidance of doubt, the PDP-led administration, 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 was 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, 12 months’ arrears of salaries for state civil servants, 10 months’ arrears for local government staff, about 36 months’ pension arrears, and a landscape of collapsed infrastructure across the state, bringing the total debt to ₦359 billion.
“When the esteemed Reverend gentleman, His Excellency, 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 those appointed by Ortom himself, but abandoned without pay by their principal.
“If the PDP had governed with prudence, transparency, and accountability, 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,” he stated.
Kula further said that 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.
He said that the House of Assembly’s unanimous approval reflected an understanding of the critical infrastructural deficit inherited and the confidence reposed in the Governor’s capacity to deliver.
In the words of Kula; “Fr. Hyacinth Alia’s administration remains steadfast in its commitment to transparent governance, infrastructural renewal, and the welfare of the Benue people.
“This loan will not be misused; it will be invested in projects that directly improve lives, enhance productivity, and restore Benue’s pride as the Food Basket of the Nation,” he stressed.
The Benue State Government therefore tasked the PDP to set aside bitterness and face the reality that the State is now on a path of responsible governance, stressing that political blackmail and emotional outbursts will not derail the ongoing transformation of the state.
“Governor Alia is very focused on his mission. Benue is rebuilding, and history will remember those who stood for progress and those who stood in its way” the statement stressed.
