By Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Benue State House of Assembly during plenary at on Friday granted approval to the Benue State Government to obtain a loan of N100 billion from United Bank for Africa, UBA to finance infrastructural projects.
This followed a request presented to the House from Governor Hyacinth Alia through the Secretary to the State Government,SSG,Mrs Deborah Aber.
The House during the session also approved discount promissory instrument receipt from the federal government in respect to Nigeria Liquified Natural Gas,NLNG.
Reading the governor’s correspondence signed by the SSG, Mrs Deborah Aber, the Speaker Alfred Emberga, told members that the facility would be used to finance the renovation and equipping of general hospitals across 23 Local Government Areas.
He also disclosed that the amount would equally be used for renovation and building of special science schools, completion of on going roads , bridges, drainages and provision of electricity, building of skills acquisition centres as well as construction and equipping of smart schools in each of the three senatorial zones.
Other project sighted in the letter the speaker revealed to include renovation and equipping of secondary and tertiary institutions, provision of infrastructure in designated industrial parks, agricultural processing projects, construction of buildings and provision of equipments for the Benue State University of Agriculture, Science and Technology Ihugh as well as other infrastructural projects approved by the state executive council.
According to the Speaker, Governor Alia in the correspondence had explained that the loan would be repaid on monthly basis for the period of four years to be liquidated through inflows from the federal allocations, Internally Generated Revenue,IGR and discounted promissory note from the federal government.
On his part Minority Leader of the Assembly and Member representing Apa state constituency,Abu Umoru and Kennedy Angbo of Otukpo/Akpa state constituency, urged their colleagues to grant the approval to enable the state government continue to provide critical infrastructural projects which they noted are already having positive impact on the lives of Benue people.
The Speaker Mr Emberga in his ruling granted the approval after debate stating that the House considered the need for government to provide infrastructure as well as viewed that conditions of the loan were friendly and within the ability of the state to pay within the giving period.
