Benue commissioner for justice and public order, Fidelis Mnyim, has said that Governor Hyacinth Alia-led administration inherited N14 billion as judgement debts from the previous administration.

Mr Mnyim made the disclosure on Tuesday in Makurdi when members of the correspondents chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Benue chapter, paid him a courtesy visit.

He said that the immediate past administration of Samuel Ortom had countless consent judgements at its twilight.

According to him, the judgements bordered on several unpaid contracts as well as 34 months unpaid pensions.

“These people became so aggressive and filed cases against the state government.

“When we came in, we had N14 billion consent judgements and they cannot be appealed because government agreed to pay them and as you know, government is a continuum,” the commissioner said.

He also disclosed that three garnishee orders, which would have affected salary payment had been set aside, adding that others would be paid in installments.

“The almighty garnishees, which are revolving, will soon be a thing of the past,” Mr Mnyim said.

He appealed for partnership with journalists so as to inform the public about the new addition to the ministry, which is ‘Public Order’.

He said he is usually pained whenever he reads uninformed reports on social media and urged the conventional media to always engage in investigative journalism and stand by the truth.

“I urge you to keep defending the truth as a contracting party and hold the state government accountable.

“Government will stand for journalists if they speak the truth,” he said.

Earlier, the chairman of the chapel, Emmanuel Antswen, congratulated the commissioner on his appointment, describing it as well deserved.

Mr Antswen appealed to the commissioner to partner with the chapel for easy and quick balancing of their reports.

(NAN)