By Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has expressed delight over the state’s current rating of 9th position against the 35th placement it has consistently occupied since 2015 on the fiscal transparency league table.
The Governor says his administration has spent $2.82 million (N4.53 billion) to service external loans between June 2023 and June 2024.
Alia made the disclosure in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, and made available to AljazirahNigeria yesterday in Makurdi.
He stressed that Benue has not borrowed funds since the inception of his administration but paid the said sum to reduce the state’s debt burden.
He further stated that the Debt Management Office ,DMO, recent report confirmed that the external debt profile of Benue has experienced a sharp decrease within the period under review.
Governor Alia was reacting to its new position by the Q3 2024 state’s fiscal transparency league table released by BudgIT a Civic Organization that uses creative technology to simplify public information to stimulate a community of active citizens to enable their rights to demand accountability, institutional reforms, and service delivery to enhance equitable society, expressed satisfaction with the rating, noting that the state was happy for regaining its lost glory.
The statement equally described as commendable his prudent management of resources and openness in governance to be acknowledged by various monitoring organizations whose specialty is consistent assessment of State’s of the federations fiscal transparency.
He recalled that recent release by the Debt Management Office, DMO, had indicated that the external debt profile of the Benue State Government had experienced a sharp decrease of about $2.82million ,N4, 532,038,130.40 billion between June 2023- June 2024 under his administration.
“Recall that having inherited over 350 billion in debts from the previous administration, the administration has been cautious about taking loans, despite initiating numerous projects across the state, with many already completed.
“We are changing the narrative for good governance and massively delivering dividends of democracy to the people.
“We are consistent in insisting that the future of the state comes first and has demonstrated the highest level of decision-making and resource management”, he said.
The Governor also expressed delight that the report equally indicated that Benue State under his watch has not borrowed any fund since inception of his administration, rather his government has paid about $2.82million about N4. 5 billion to reduce the state’s debt burden.
He recalled that having inherited over N350 billion debt from the previous administration, he has been cautious of taking loans and overdraft, despite initiating numerous projects across the state with many of such projects already completed.
The Governor who assured the people of Benue that he would continue to change the narrative to provide good governance through massive delivery of democratic dividends to Benue people, promised to at all times put the future of the state first, adding that he would always demonstrate the highest level of decision making and resource management.
