The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue State has condemned what it describes as the Benue State House of Assembly’s hasty and ill-considered approval of a ₦100 billion loan request by the administration of Governor Hyacinth Alia.
In a statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Mr Tim Nyor, on Friday, the party said the loan approval is “reckless, unjustifiable, and insensitive” to the current economic hardships facing the people of the state.
According to the statement, the PDP noted that since the removal of fuel subsidies, the state had received significantly increased allocations from the Federation Account, both for the state and local governments, running into hundreds of billions of naira.
It notes that given these inflows, the opposition party wonders why the state government is seeking additional borrowing, questioning the transparency, accountability, and fiscal prudence behind the decision.
The statement reads in part: “What, precisely, is the purpose of this loan? Under what provisions of the 2025 budget does this colossal borrowing find justification? And what measures have been put in place to ensure that the funds, if indeed accessed, will serve the collective interest of Benue people rather than disappear into opaque channels of political patronage and contract inflation?”
It further says the party warns that the continued reliance on loans without clear developmental justification could push the state into deeper debt, burdening future generations, accusing the government of exhibiting poor financial judgement and prioritising short-term political interests over sustainable growth.
It also says while calling on the State Assembly to reverse its approval, the PDP urged the lawmakers to uphold the principles of checks and balances and resist becoming “a rubber stamp of the executive.”
The statement added that the party is committed to defending the interests of Benue citizens, and exposing acts of financial mismanagement, deceit, and abuse of public trust.
