By Ben Adaji, Jalingo
Pressure group under the aegis of Taraba Concerned Citizens, TCC, has described the Commissioner for Information and Re-orientation, Zainab Jalingo as lacking the integrity to defend allegations of diversion of public funds and non-performance levelled against Governor Agbu Kefas by a section of the media.
The group, while responding to a statement by the commissioner refuting the allegations of diversion of N250 billion bank loan secured by the governor to run the affairs of the state, said she failed in her defence to tell the people of Taraba 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 House of Assembly in less than two years of his administration, obtained the loans which were meant for the execution of projects, but N250 billion was diverted and there is no single project to show for it.
The 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 and 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.
Jalingo had on Tuesday in a statement defended the expenditure of the governor, stating that the alleged misappropriation of funds was outright falsehood and baseless.
Jalingo claimed that projects are being executed and are in progress, while the security of the state has also improved, courtesy of Governor Kefas efforts.
In a quick reaction, the group called on the commissioner to come out and clear the air by telling the people what happened to all the billions or mention the specific projects that were executed by the governor since his assumption of office one and half years ago.
Addressing journalists in Jalingo yesterday, Chairman of the group, Comrade Emos Tijani accused the information commissioner of not being factual with issues that have to do with the people and the financial implications.
He lamented that instead of telling the people the true position of things, she displayed her incompetence and ignorance about governance.
“It is unfortunate that when media reports are 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.
“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 are ongoing and whether they 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 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, let us know where we are,” Tijani stated.
