Hyacinth Alia, the Governor of Benue state, has disclosed that he has not borrowed any money since being inaugurated on May 29, 2023.
In response to a newspaper revelation alleging that 13 new state governors, including Benue, borrowed N226.8 billion from both domestic and overseas lenders between June and December 2023.
Governor Alia, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Kulas Tersoo, in a statement released on the state’s Twitter page said: “We want to state emphatically that, the government of Rev.Fr. Alia has not borrowed any money from either Domestic or External sources.
“All debts mentioned in the said report were incurred before May 29, 2023, and not after Governor Hyacinth Alia led administration took over office.
“Let it be known that the government of Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia is skeptical of borrowings, and will only do so when and if it becomes necessary and it is in the interest of the Benue people, especially to fund critical projects.
“We challenge the newspaper reporter to be more investigative in his reports, providing accurate facts, which is a key component of journalism practice.”