‎In Nasarawa, Item 7=707

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Recently, the Nasarawa State Government has been trying to debunk claims of not spending a whopping N707million on refreshments and meals as alleged in a publication by Sahara Reporters.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Nasarawa State Governor on Public Affairs, Hon. Peter Ahemba, tried to give an explanation. He said: “The attention of Nasarawa State Government has been drawn to an unfounded and unsubstantiated claims published by Sahara Reporters, alleging that N707 million was spent on refreshments and meals while rural water provision was neglected.”

‎According to him, “Government hereby refutes the claims and wish to further clarify that the cited N707 million represents aggregated expenditures across multiple Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) over the referenced nine months period, covering statutory and operational costs such as meetings, trainings, workshops, security activities and programme implementation and NOT a single discretionary expense on refreshments and meals as erroneously portrayed by the ill-motivated publication.”

‎The Governor’s aide also pointed out in the rebuttal that “We equally found the allegation of neglect in rural water access laughable, given the sustained investments in water infrastructure across the State under the Engineer Abdullahi Sule-led administration in the State. It is public knowledge that since 2019 when Governor Sule took over the mantle of leadership of the State, significant reforms and interventions have been implemented through the State Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (NASWASSA), Ministry of Water Resources, the State Water Board, and Development Partners, following the constitution of a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Taskforce and the enactment of relevant enabling laws.

‎“Through these laudable initiatives, the State Government implemented appreciable number of water-related projects and carried out major rehabilitation and upgrades of water works in Doma, Keana, Awe, Lafia, Nasarawa Eggon, Keffi, Karu and several other towns, involving grid connections, pump replacements, dredging, borehole rehabilitation, plant renovations and procurement of operational equipment amounting to billions of naira.

‎“These visible and verifiable interventions spread across rural and urban communities of the State no doubt contradict any claims of neglect hence we make bold to call on the public to disregard the malicious publication in its entirety as it has no iota of truth.

‎“…We wish to reiterate the uncompromising stand of the State Government towards prudent financial management, promotion of accountability in Governance and prioritization of essential services for the benefit of the people,” the rebuttal noted.

‎Going by these counter claims, the Nasarawa State Government is not saying such huge amount of money was not spent but ‘eaten’ in bits over a period of nine months across board. Nevertheless, the amount was spent. That is the point.

‎One may not be a good Mathematician but let’s do small Arithmetic. Divide N707million by nine months. That is 707÷9=78.5. Equals to N78.5million spent per month. Furthermore, assuming we calculate an average of 31 days in a month for nine months. That is 279 days in all and divide 707 by 279 days equals 2.53. That is N2.53million per day spent.

‎As Ahemba claimed, the amount was a period of nine months and covered statutory and operational costs such as meetings, trainings, workshops, security activities and programme implementation.

‎Definitely something is not adding up. How many of such meetings, trainings, workshops, etc took place in a month “chopping” N78.5million in the process? Or N2.53million in one day?

‎Somebody, somewhere with deep stomach must have “chopped” the best of pounded yam or the finest white Alebo flour with big fresh fish caught from Doma Dam and mixed with the spicy dried goat meat from Asabe’s spot near Akwanga and “washed” it down with the choicest palm wine from Wamba, Keana, Tunga or Otiya.

‎Surely, some persons are in love with “Item 7” hidden under some cover not readily seen from the public. Na so I see am.