By Uhuru Samuel Adaji, Jalingo
As Governor Agbu Kefas marks two years in office, residents of Taraba State—particularly members of the major opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC)—have expressed deep concern over the number of abandoned infrastructure projects across the state, many of which are said to be worth billions of naira.
Alhaji Hassan Ardo Jika, a former Nigerian envoy to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, accused the governor of prioritizing luxury projects that benefit only himself and a select few members of his cabinet.
He criticized the administration for embarking on several expensive projects while consistently lamenting the state’s lack of financial resources.
Jika highlighted projects such as the renovation of Suntai Airport in Jalingo—used primarily by the governor and his cabinet—the speedy completion of select offices at TY Danjuma House (Government House), Jalingo, and the commissioning of new government lodges in Abuja and Wukari, the governor’s hometown, as examples of misplaced priorities.
“How many people in the state can afford a flight ticket of nearly N200,000 from Jalingo to Abuja?” Jika asked.
“The Namnai Bridge, which collapsed during the last rainy season, remains abandoned. That road is vital for daily commuters, but because the governor doesn’t use it, he’s ignored it while enjoying alternative routes in the comfort of his luxurious cars.”
Another APC stakeholder, Ambassador Rikwensi Muri, also criticized the administration, listing several abandoned projects including the Jalingo Trade Fair Complex, Jalingo Trailer Park, Wukari International Yam Market, Jalingo Abattoir, Wukari-Chinkai Road, and the Jalingo Palliative Market.
He said these projects have consumed large sums of money, yet contractors have vacated the sites for over six months.
Muri accused Governor Kefas of abandoning most of the promises made during the 2023 gubernatorial campaign.
“If you assess the few completed projects, they are all focused on the governor’s personal comfort—TY Danjuma House in Jalingo, the Abuja Lodge, the lodge in Wukari, and Suntai Airport. Meanwhile, key public projects have been abandoned,” he stated.
“The contractors have left these sites, and the governor’s second year in office will soon be completed. We are watching to see if any of these projects will be revived or commissioned during the anniversary on May 29,” Muri added.
In response, Governor Kefas has maintained that his administration has performed creditably well within the past two years.
In a statement titled “Two Years Report Card of Gov. Kefas”, Hon. Emmanuel Bello, the governor’s Special Adviser on Media and Digital Communications, said the administration has operated with “humility, transparency, the fear of God, and a deep love for the people.”
Bello listed the governor’s achievements as improved security, free education, good governance, timely payment of salaries, construction of road networks, upgrades to the airport, distribution of tractors to farmers, and efforts to improve public health.
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