Benue Loan Sparks War of Words Between Alia and Ortom

Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, and his predecessor, Samuel Ortom, have clashed over the recent approval of a ₦100 billion loan for infrastructural development in the state.

The Benue State House of Assembly, during an emergency session last Friday, granted approval for the governor’s request to secure the loan. Governor Alia explained that the funds would be used for various projects, including the renovation and equipping of 23 general hospitals, the construction and upgrade of science schools, completion of roads, bridges, drainages, and electrification projects, as well as the establishment of skill acquisition centres. Other initiatives include building smart schools across the 11 federal constituencies and setting up the Benue State University of Agriculture, Science, and Technology in Ihugh.

However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state criticized the approval, arguing that the Alia administration had already received significant allocations from the Federal Government. In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Tim Nyor, the PDP questioned the necessity of the loan, accusing the government of financial recklessness.

Responding through his Chief Press Secretary, Kula Tersoo, Governor Alia dismissed the PDP’s criticism as hypocritical, accusing former Governor Ortom of “democratising poverty” by failing to pay salaries and pensions during his eight-year tenure. Alia described Ortom’s government as “a colossal failure,” claiming it left behind a direct debt burden of ₦187.7 billion, which was later discovered to be understated, with an additional ₦170 billion owed through local governments—bringing the total debt to ₦359 billion.

He further alleged that despite receiving several federal interventions, including bailout funds, LNG funds, Paris Club refunds, and other borrowings, Ortom’s administration still handed over a state riddled with unpaid salaries, pension arrears, and abandoned infrastructure.

In a counterstatement, Ortom, through his media aide, Terver Akase, accused Governor Alia of evading legitimate questions about transparency and financial accountability. He argued that despite a more than 500 per cent increase in federal allocations to Benue since May 2023, the current administration had failed to show prudent management of resources.

Ortom maintained that at the end of his tenure, the state was expecting disbursements from the Federal Government, including ₦41 billion in bailout balance and a ₦20 billion CBN facility, as well as refunds from subsidy withdrawals and the SURE-P programme. He challenged Alia to disclose whether his government had received the SURE-P refund and how it was being spent.

The former governor also criticised the award of a ₦68.3 billion contract for rehabilitating a 13-kilometre road from Wurukum Roundabout to the Air Force Base in Makurdi, calling it “outrageously inflated.” He added that another ₦73 billion project reportedly approved for a road leading to Alia’s village lacked transparency.

“Each time Governor Alia is asked to account for public funds, he resorts to attacking Ortom rather than presenting facts and figures,” Akase said. “This behaviour suggests an attempt to avoid accountability.”

Ortom urged the governor to provide a full account of the revenues received since assuming office, insisting that the people of Benue deserve transparency and responsible governance.