₦67bn Unspent While Retirees Are Owed ₦65.55bn — Where Is the Priority?
The Alliance for Truth and Democracy (ATD) has demanded full disclosure of Benue State’s financial records following what it described as a sharp increase in the resources available to the state under Governor Hyacinth Alia.
The organisation said Benue recorded more than ₦1.112 trillion in earned resources between 2023 and the second quarter of 2026, yet pension and gratuity liabilities reportedly remained at about ₦65.55 billion.
ATD President, Jerome Zoho, said the figures warranted public scrutiny and a detailed explanation from the state government.
According to the organisation, Benue’s earned resources increased from approximately ₦151.15 billion in 2023 to ₦357.53 billion in 2024 and ₦528.10 billion in 2025.
By the end of the second quarter of 2026, the state had reportedly recorded another ₦232.56 billion.
ATD said fiscal records also showed unspent balances of approximately ₦29.88 billion in 2023, ₦85.18 billion in 2024, ₦44.74 billion in 2025 and ₦67.04 billion by Q2 2026.
The group said the figures should prompt questions about how public funds were prioritised.
However, ATD urged the government to clarify whether the reported unspent figures represented cash available for immediate spending or funds already committed, restricted or otherwise earmarked.
The organisation said such clarification was important before conclusions could be drawn about the state’s ability to immediately settle the pension debt.
ATD nevertheless insisted that the reported ₦65.55 billion pension and gratuity liability remained a serious issue requiring urgent attention.
The group called on Governor Alia to publish a detailed financial statement covering revenue inflows, expenditure, debt servicing, pension payments, gratuity payments and outstanding liabilities from May 2023 through Q2 2026.
It said transparency would allow citizens to understand the state’s financial position and assess the government’s priorities.
ATD also appealed to the government to provide a clear timeline for clearing outstanding pension and gratuity obligations.
The organisation maintained that retirees who spent decades working for Benue State deserved timely payment of their entitlements.
“Bring the documents. Show the transactions. Explain the priorities,” ATD said.
The group warned that the pension issue should be treated not merely as an accounting matter but as a governance and accountability question.