All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State has asked Governor Agbu Kefas to account for how the N2 billion palliative loan given to his administration was spent.
A chieftain of the party, Alhaji Aliu Zubeiru, who addressed a press conference in Jalingo, the state capital on Sunday, accused the state government of not providing enough information on the loan since 2023.
He said, “The federal government under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu had in August last year offered N5bn to states, N2bn was disbursed in cash while the remaining money was to be disbursed in trucks of foodstuff to cushion the removal of fuel subsidy.
“From the best of our knowledge as party members in the state, the federal government came out then and announced that any state that is not interested to take the loan should return the cash of N2bn earlier disbursed to her, we have not at any time heard that Taraba State government opted out of the loan.
“We have not also heard from the state government that this is what we have done with the money. It is now close to a year after the N2 billion was disbursed. As citizens of the state, we are demanding to know, first, did our state (Taraba) collect the money? If yes, how has it been utilised? Other states have since briefed their people on how their palliatives had been utilised? Why is ours in Taraba different?
“The governor might apply usage of the money reasonably, we are not accusing him of embezzling the N2 billion, but we want to know, how was it used, the commissioner for information has the capacity to let the people of the state to know that, the loan which is payable, this is how it was used. Moreover, that is her job.
“Except otherwise, we are demanding accountability of the money as well as the food palliative items that were sent to the state from the federal government.”
When contacted, the commissioner for information and reorientation Zeinab Usman Jalingo asked LEADERSHIP to “leave the sleeping dog lie.”
“What is LEADERSHIP concern over the N2 billion palliatives? Why can’t you let the sleeping dog lie? Well, I have received your request and I will reply to you at the appropriate time,” the commissioner stated.