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By Celestine Ihejirika, Jalingo
Taraba state government has accused agencies and federal law makers from the state for poor execution and implementation of federal government constituency projects in the state.
Addressing newsmen in Jalingo, the state commissioner, ministry for budget and economic planning Hon. Solomon Elisha said it will no longer be business as usual as reports available before them from the federal government intervention indicated that agencies and elected federal law makers are short changing projects meant for the state.
According to him since 2020, some executing agencies (MDA’s) used in implementing the national budget in Taraba state as its customary for zonal intervention projects (ZIP) and consolidated projects from the economic recovery and growth plan (ERGP) under Buhari administration have so far been observed with dismay.
“It’s been observed that some executing agencies have been used over the years for the execution and implementation of federal government constituency projects in Taraba state for certain senatorial districts and the federal agencies not withstanding their previous budget performance as it were poorly executed, unspecified, abandoned or even nonexistent..
“The purpose of freedom of information act 2011 of the 1999 constitution as amended was to empower citizens to take ownership of government projects in their constituency, engage their elected representatives and demand accountability and transparency so that public funds will work for public good.
“The conceptualization of government project interventions as individual efforts becomes worrisome because the players are our supposed representatives who have cornered our sovereign wealth to become theirs. The big question agitating our mind is that the little space given them at the constituency level are being mortgaged, how can we now or in the future aggregate our collective mandate for such representative to lead us or provide leadership at the state level.
“other worrisome issues according to him includes vote of some federal agencies which were claimed to be implemented in the state, this projects titles have no coloration at all with the agencies. Though beneficial to the state as claimed but are on monumental frauds.
However Hon. Elisha said the press briefing became necessary so as to acquaint the general public to be careful with those likely to swindle the sovereign wealth of the state into their personal pockets.
