From Henry Ibya Makurdi
Benue State governor, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia said it is misleading for anybody to ascribe his laudable and well- intended developmental initiatives as reckless fiscal adventure.
Reacting to the condemnation by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, following the recent approval of N100 billion loan granted his administration by the House of Assembly for infrastructural development, Alia argued that the outburst was unexpected, especially given the party’s history of clueless and reckless governance.
The governor, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula, said under the immediate past administration,Benue was adjudged the worse in fiscal responsibility, a situation which consistently scored Benue last in capital projects execution nationwide.
He revealed that after thorough checks, government discovered another debt of N170 billion bringing the actual debt burden to N359 billion.
The governor alleged that PDP in Benue democratized poverty through failure to pay salaries and pensions, arguing that in contrast, his administration has made it a priority to pay civil servants and pensioners promptly.
He recalled that within the period under review, he has made massive strides in development in all sectors through prudent management of scarce resources and ingenious financial engineering.
The governor noted that government under his watch has demonstrated unparalleled fiscal discipline, transparency and prudent management of state resources, which he noted is a clear departure from the as wasteful years of PDP’s leadership in the state.
According to Governor Alia, the immediate past government left a debt burden of N187.7 billion which he described as a weight that has constrained the state’s finances and development capacity.
“This administration later discovered that the first figure that the immediate past administration gave as its debt burden was grossly understated. We later uncovered another N170 billion that the state owed through local government arrears”, Alia revealed.
He expressed disbelief that the former governor accumulated such debts, but refused to pay civil servants and pensioners their entitlements.
The governor equally revealed that after receiving several interventions from the federal government, including bailout funds, LNG funds and two tranches of the Paris Club debt refund, the former governor still handed over a debt profile of N187.7 billion, 12 months arrears of salary for local government staff, about 36 months pension arrears and a landscape of collapsed infrastructure, bringing the total debt to N359 billion.
He also recalled that when he assumed office, he did not only clear the backlog of salaries and pensions, but equally paid over five months arrears of salary owed former political appointees who were appointed by the immediate past government.
He said he has restrained from borrowing in the past two years due to the unsustainable debt burden it inherited, but noted however that he has to follow same steps having paid off the debts substantially.
Alia revealed that the amount stands currently at N125 billion.
He said with the recent approval of N100 billion by the Assembly, his administration would renovate and equip general hospitals to strengthen the healthcare sector and improve tertiary healthcare delivery, renovate and construct science schools to reposition education and promote technical learning.
The funds, the governor maintained, would also be used to complete ongoing roads, bridges, drainages and electricity projects abandoned by previous administrations, build skills acquisition centres to tackle youth unemployment through vocational training, construct and equip smart schools in the federal constituencies across the state to modernise learning, as well as develop infrastructure at Benue State University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Ihugh.
While restating his commitment to transparent governance, infrastructural renewal and the welfare of Benue people, Governor Alia assured that not a single kobo out of the loan would be misused, as it will be invested in projects that would have direct bearing on the lives of residents.
