By Terdue Atondu, Makurdi
The Benue State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Chief Solomon Iorpev, has described as laughable comments attributed to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state demanding accountability from Governor Hyacinth Alia over federal allocations to the state.
Iorpev, in a statement issued on Monday, accused the PDP-led administration that governed Benue for eight years before Alia assumed office of leaving behind substantial debts, unpaid salaries and pensions, abandoned projects and deteriorating infrastructure.
He argued that the current administration was deploying the state’s resources to address inherited liabilities while funding development projects across the 23 local government areas.
The commissioner specifically faulted comments attributed to former Benue State Government spokesperson, Dr Terver Akase, who reportedly questioned the utilisation of the state’s monthly Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) revenue.
According to Iorpev, it was ironic that members of the former administration were demanding accountability after allegedly failing to meet their financial obligations during their eight-year tenure.
He maintained that accountability should be measured by tangible results, including improved infrastructure, functional healthcare facilities, regular payment of salaries and pensions, and the revival of moribund state-owned industries.
“His Excellency, Rev. Fr. Dr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia, has never denied the allocations coming into Benue State. Instead, he is actively justifying these allocations through transformative governance and visible performance,” Iorpev said.
FAAC Allocations and Economic Realities
The commissioner argued that critics questioning the state’s monthly revenue of about ₦30 billion were ignoring the effects of exchange-rate adjustments and inflation on the purchasing power of the naira.
He said comparing the nominal value of current allocations with those received by previous administrations without considering prevailing economic conditions could give a misleading impression of the resources available to successive governments.
According to him, the previous administration operated under relatively more favourable purchasing-power conditions but allegedly left behind substantial debts and unfinished projects.
Iorpev insisted that the Alia administration was delivering projects despite operating in a more challenging economic environment.
He challenged the PDP to assess the government’s performance based on its spending priorities and projects rather than focusing solely on the nominal amount received from FAAC.
Alia Inherited Over ₦300bn in Liabilities — Commissioner
On the state’s financial position, Iorpev claimed that the Alia administration inherited more than ₦186 billion in domestic liabilities, including unpaid bank loans and contractors’ claims, with the overall backlog of obligations reportedly exceeding ₦300 billion.
He said the government had restructured and repaid more than ₦64.63 billion in inherited liabilities within 18 months without obtaining fresh commercial loans.
According to him, the inherited financial obligations had significantly constrained the resources available for new projects and other government programmes.
The commissioner argued that the liabilities should be considered when assessing the administration’s handling of monthly allocations.
Salaries, Pensions and Minimum Wage
Iorpev also defended the administration’s record on workers’ welfare, saying civil servants and pensioners had experienced improvements in the payment of their entitlements.
He stated that salaries and pensions were now being paid systematically between the 22nd and 25th of every month, adding that inherited salary arrears had been cleared.
The commissioner further said the state had increased its minimum wage to ₦75,000, describing the measure as part of the government’s efforts to improve workers’ welfare.
He questioned the PDP’s criticism of the administration’s revenue management, arguing that the previous government had struggled to meet its obligations to workers.
Government Moves to Revive Taraku Mills
On industrial development, Iorpev accused the previous administration of spending substantial sums on the renovation of Taraku Mills without restoring the facility to full operation.
He said the Alia administration, through the Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), was working to revive the factory as an agro-processing centre capable of creating jobs and providing a market for farmers’ produce.
According to him, the government was also reviewing other moribund state-owned enterprises across the 23 local government areas, with plans to revive viable businesses or engage private investors through public-private partnerships.
He said the initiatives were intended to strengthen the state’s productive capacity and reduce its dependence on revenue allocations.
Over 320 Primary Healthcare Centres Rehabilitated
The commissioner listed healthcare, education, agriculture and infrastructure among the sectors where he said the administration had made significant investments.
In the health sector, he claimed that more than 320 primary healthcare centres had been renovated, rebuilt or re-equipped across the state, with essential drugs provided to improve access to medical services.
He added that the government was also addressing challenges in secondary and tertiary healthcare institutions.
On education, Iorpev said the administration had undertaken the reconstruction and renovation of dilapidated classrooms, school buildings and administrative blocks.
He also highlighted the recruitment of more than 9,000 primary school personnel, the provision of learning materials and the implementation of the free education policy from Primary One to Junior Secondary School Three.
According to him, the government had also continued to provide incentives and meet the entitlements of teachers and other beneficiaries of its education programmes.
Agricultural Support and Road Projects
Iorpev said the administration had distributed hundreds of truckloads of fertiliser to farmers at subsidised rates since assuming office.
He added that the government was promoting mechanised farming through the introduction of tractors, harvesters, threshers and modern irrigation systems.
He also cited collaborations with international development partners, including the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the French Development Agency, to strengthen rice, cassava and livestock value chains.
On infrastructure, the commissioner claimed that the state was undertaking the construction of more than 500 kilometres of urban and rural roads, with projects spread across the three senatorial districts.
He said several road projects had been completed, while others were ongoing.
Iorpev further disclosed that the administration was implementing urban renewal projects involving township roads, as well as underpass projects in Makurdi and Gboko.
He also pointed to the government’s Light Up Benue initiative, which he said was deploying solar-powered infrastructure to improve public lighting, enhance security and stimulate economic activities at night.
Commissioner Accuses PDP of Selective Criticism
The commissioner maintained that the PDP’s criticism of the Alia administration’s revenue management failed to take account of the debts and other financial obligations inherited from the previous government.
He accused the opposition party of focusing on the state’s monthly allocations without adequately considering the administration’s spending on workers’ welfare, infrastructure, healthcare, education and industrial revival.
Iorpev insisted that the government’s performance should be assessed through its impact on ordinary residents, including civil servants receiving regular salaries, farmers benefiting from agricultural support and communities gaining access to improved roads and healthcare facilities.
“Accountability is not measured in rhetoric or press statements from political actors; it is lived by the civil servant receiving their ₦75,000 minimum wage, the farmer bringing produce to a revived Taraku Mills, and the citizens walking on newly paved, lit roads across Benue,” he said.
He added that the administration’s investments in healthcare and education were intended to improve the living conditions of residents across the state.
The commissioner urged the PDP to acknowledge the financial and developmental challenges inherited by the present government, arguing that the previous administration’s alleged failure to address those challenges had contributed to the state’s current fiscal burden.
He maintained that Governor Alia was using available resources to address inherited liabilities while pursuing development projects across Benue State.
The claims and figures cited in the statement represent the Benue State Government’s position. Independent verification and a response from the PDP and other persons criticised in the statement were not included in the material provided.
