Why Benue spent N4.53bn to service loan in 1 year — Alia

The Governor of Benue State, Hyacinth Alia, said the state spent N4.53 billion to service external loans between 2023 and June 2024.

Alia disclosed this in a statement by his spokesman, Tersoo Kula, on Monday.

According to him, the state has not incurred additional debt since he assumed office.

He noted that his administration has been servicing loans procured by past administrations to the tune of over N350 billion.

“Recall that having inherited over N350 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,” he stated.

This comes amid claims that the state’s debt has surged since the inception of Alia’s administration.