From Scholastica Hir, Makurdi
The Benue State House of Assembly on Friday approved a request from the Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia to obtain a N100 billion loan to finance infrastructure projects.
The House took the decision during an emergency sitting presided over by the Speaker, Berger Alfred Emberga.
According to the letter sent to the House and read by the Speaker, the N100 billion loan is to finance some development projects including renovation and equipping of the 23 General Hospitals in the state, renovation and building of science schools across the state and completion of ongoing roads, bridges, drainages and electricity projects across the state.
Other projects include building of skills acquisition centres, building and equipping smart schools in all the federal constituencies in the state and construction building and equipping the Benue State University of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Ihugh, amongst others.
The House unanimously approved the request based on critical needs for the state, urging the government to use the funds judiciously for the development and progress of Benue State.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party, Benue State Chapter, (PDP) has condemned the Benue Assembly’s approval of the said ₦100 billion loan.
The PDP, in a statement signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Tim Nyor, expressed dismay and strong disapproval over the assembly’s hasty and ill-considered approval of another N100 billion loan request by the Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia-led administration.
The party said: “This reckless fiscal adventure is both unjustifiable and insensitive to the prevailing economic realities facing the people of Benue State.
“Since the removal of fuel subsidies, there has been a historic and unprecedented increase in monthly allocations to states across the federation. The Alia administration has received colossal sums from the Federation Account, running into hundreds of billions of naira, for both state and local governments.
“Against this backdrop, the decision to plunge Benue into another cycle of debt raises grave questions about transparency, accountability, and fiscal discipline.
“This alarming pattern of borrowing without clear justification suggests a government bereft of sound financial judgment and driven by short-term expediency.”
The PDP warned in strong terms that Benue State cannot continue to be mortgaged to satisfy the whims of a few saying, “Future generations must not be condemned to paying debts incurred without their consent and without corresponding developmental value.”
The party called on the Benue State House of Assembly to retrace its steps and act in the true spirit of checks and balances, rather than as a mere rubber stamp of the executive.
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