Taraba is financially stable, not bankrupt" says Commissioner

From Victor Gai, Jalingo

The Taraba state Commissioner for Information and Reorientation, Barrister Zainab Usman Jalingo, has described a recent media report which claimed that the state was bankrupt, as misleading, false and baseless. 

In a press statement made available to selected media houses, the Commissioner noted that the publication contained unverifiable, misleading, and defamatory claims against Governor Agbu Kefas and his administration.

The statement read: "the claim that Taraba State is bankrupt is false and baseless. 

"Since assuming office, Governor Kefas has transformed Jalingo into a hub of infrastructural development with many projects already completed and commissioned. 

"His administration prioritizes prudent financial management, significantly improving the state’s Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) from N700 million when the administration took over to over N2bn as of December 2024 an increment of over 200 %. This is evident in the prompt payment of salaries, pensions, and gratuities—something that had not been done since 2012.

"Furthermore, Taraba remains one of the few states in Nigeria where workers now earn more than double their previous salaries, following the implementation of the new minimum wage of N70,000. This would not have been possible if the state were in financial distress".

The statement added that the government had completed projects with some ongoing which would not have been possible if the state was bankrupt. 

She said: "contrary to claims that no projects have been executed, the Kefas-led administration has embarked on numerous developmental projects across the state. Taraba is no longer what it used to be, and residents can attest to this transformation".

On the alleged diversion of N100 billion funds as well as local government funds, Jalingo described the claim as "outright falsehood", saying government was repaying loans inherited by past administrations. 

The statement added: "the claim that Governor Agbu Kefas diverted ₦100 billion to a retired general is an outright falsehood with no factual basis. The governor has not handed over to any individual such an amount of money for whatsoever reason. Instead, the government is repaying loans inherited from past administrations while making giant strides in infrastructure and service delivery.

"Similarly, the allegation that local government intervention funds were diverted is entirely false. Just last week the Bureau for Local Government, Traditional and Chieftaincy Affairs released funds to the local government councils for developmental projects in their various councils. 

"To ensure that the projects at the local councils align with the state development master plan, the governor few days ago held a meeting with local government chairmen to present the Taraba Master Plan.

"Suffice it to say that in the last quarter of last year, monies were released to the local government councils many of them have embarked on projects such as building of market stores, public toilets among others.

"The claim regarding diversion of funds meant for grain purchases is also misleading. The funds were allocated as part of the administration’s food security measures to cushion the effects of economic hardship. Over 3,000 metric tons of grains have already been purchased, and the planned 10,000 metric tons will be procured before the end of the first quarter of 2025".

Jalingo, therefore said it was "unacceptable for media practitioners to engage in blackmail and baseless allegations to mislead the public" while urging members of the press to "verify facts before publication and resist being used as tools for political propaganda".