By Jonathan Katungo, Jalingo
A pressure group, Taraba Concern citizens (TCC) has described the state Commissioner for Information and Re-orientation Barrister Zainab Jalingo has economical with the truth in her defence on allegations of diversion of public funds and non performance levelled against Governor Kefas Agbu by a section of the media.
The group was responding to a press statement by the commissioner defending the allegations of diversion of N250 billion bank loans secured by the Governor to run the affairs of the state.
The group said the commissioner failed in her defence to tell the people of the state the whereabouts of the money or the projects executed by the Governor since his assumption of office.
The media report alleged that the governor through a request to the state house of assembly in less than two years of his administration obtained the loans which were meant for execution of projects but the N250 billion was diverted and there was no single project to show for it.
The media reports also alleged that Taraba State had gone bankrupt forcing all projects initiated by the governor to remain standstill for the past four months, including diversion of billions of Naira meant for the purchase of grains for food security, purchase of fertilisers, purchase of tractors as well as over N7 billion sent to the 16 local government areas as intervention funds from the office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
The Commissioner on Tuesday in a statement defended the expenditures of the governor in the state, stating that “The alleged misappropriation of funds was outright falsehood and baseless.”
Jalingo in the statement claimed that projects are being executed and are in progress while the security of the state have also improved, courtesy of the Governor Kefas’ efforts.
The TCC called on the Commissioner to come out and clear the air by telling the people of the state what happens to all the billions said to have been diverted by the Governor and as well mention the specific projects that were construction since his assumption of office one and half years ago.
Addressing journalists in Jalingo on Wednesday, the chairman Taraba Concern Citizens, Comrade Emos Tijjani accused the information commissioner of not been factual with issues that has to do with the people of the state and the financial implications.
He lamented that instead of telling the people of the state the true position of things, the commissioner was busy beating around the bush and displaying her incompetency and ignorance about governance.
“It us unfortunate that when the media reports is talking about the allegations of financial recklessness against the Governor, the commissioner is busy jumping from one tree to another or dancing around like a village masquerade without giving any cogent point,” he said.
“The commissioner while debunking the media publications that the state did not go bankrupt could not substantiate whether loans were acquired or not, she could not tell us the projects that were ongoing and where the projects are being executed, she only said, work is going on steadily, so where are the projects?
“We want her to point at the ongoing projects let us see them, we are all here in the state, public projects are not hidden in the pocket, ongoing projects are visible happenings, instead of playing antics, come out clearly and tell us the state of the finances of Taraba state government let us know where we are,” Tijani stated.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.