‘Stop Frustrating Ortom From Accessing N41bn Loan’

A group, Benue People of Conscience (B-POC) has asked indigenes using the federal government to frustrate Governor Samuel Ortom from accessing a loan facility of N41.39 billion approved by the state House of Assembly to pay pensions and salaries, to desist from it.

The group in a statement signed by its chairman, John Orshi and secretary, Tersoo Iorbee said, “we read with dismay reasons advanced by persons, as to why the federal government should not allow the Benue State government to access a loan facility of N41.39 billion approved by the Benue State House of Assembly to pay pensions and workers’ emoluments”.

B-POC said it does not wish to glorify anyone by engaging them, however, “we wish to state the facts as they are on why Benue State government should access the loan facility to pay its workers and pensioners. We have seen other theatrics that have played out as part of efforts to frustrate the state government on other issues as well, but we do not want to go into all that for now.

“Some persons have insisted that the Benue State government should not be allowed to access the loan because he has mismanaged resources earlier made available to Benue. We want those people to know that very soon, it would be near impossible for most state governments in the country, including Benue to pay workers’ salaries without borrowing”

Orshi also described the situation where some persons are glorifying the federal government and making it look like it is doing well without borrowing as sycophancy of the highest order.

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He said, “Based on facts on our hands, we know that the federal government is even borrowing money to service some of its needs, including debt repayment after squandering funds from the Excess Crude Account.

“For instance, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) came to power in 2015, it inherited from former President Goodluck Jonathan, Excess Crude Account worth about $2.2 billion, but as we speak, less than eight years down the line, we have slightly above $376,000 in that account, which represents less than half a billion dollars left in that account and the federal government is still borrowing”

“Nigeria is generating about N1.6 trillion, monthly, while it is spending about N1.9 trillion to service debts. The meaning of this is that the balance of N300 billion is being borrowed to service debts” the group added.