By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
The Zonal Youth Leader of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) North-East, Hon. Ado Zaki; the Taraba State PDP Youth Leader; and the Chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) as well as Chairman of the Taraba State Youth Development Agency, Hon. Gara Nongha, on Tuesday defended Governor Agbu Kefas, stating that his administration is not borrowing to consume but to build a Taraba of the people’s dreams.
The youth leaders described the recent open letter by former lawmaker Hon. Danjuma Usman Shiddi on Taraba State’s debt profile as “misleading and emotionally charged.”
Shiddi, a former member of the House of Representatives for the Wukari/Ibbi Federal Constituency, had last week raised concerns over what he alleged to be the state’s rising debt profile under Governor Agbu Kefas, claiming that available records showed a debt burden of ₦1.2 trillion in less than two years, with no visible projects to justify the spending.
In a press statement jointly signed by the youth leaders, they said Shiddi’s claims were inaccurate, emotional, and misleading.
According to them, Governor Kefas is committed to transforming Taraba, and the loans secured by his administration were legitimately obtained and judiciously utilized for their intended purposes.
“Our attention has been drawn to the recent open letter by Hon. Danjuma Usman Shiddi, which is regrettably laden with financial inaccuracies and emotional rhetoric about alleged reckless borrowing and mismanagement under the administration of His Excellency, Dr. Agbu Kefas.
Ordinarily, we would have ignored such political distractions; however, silence could be misinterpreted as consent.”
They described Shiddi’s question—“Where is the ₦17 billion awarded to acquire uniforms and school items from China?”—as evidence of either a deliberate attempt to mislead the public or a complete misunderstanding of how public procurement works.
“The ₦17 billion in question was not a lump sum given to any single contractor or transferred offshore. It represents the total cost of educational materials and infrastructure provided under the Free and Compulsory Education Policy launched in 2023,” the statement read.
The youth leaders explained that during the state visit of the Prime Minister of Grenada to Taraba, the distribution of the educational materials was publicly flagged off in Jalingo.
“Today, uniforms and instructional materials have been distributed to pupils across all 16 local government areas. Over 61 model schools are under construction across the state using hydra-form technology—12 of which have been completed and are awaiting commissioning. Rehabilitation of existing schools is ongoing. Governor Kefas is building infrastructure that will stand the test of time for at least 50 years,” they stated.
They also disclosed that funds are being disbursed directly to school heads to ensure transparency and reduce leakages, while procurement of desks, roofing materials, and other learning infrastructure continues.
On the ₦206.78 billion development loan approved by the Taraba State House of Assembly in August 2023, the youth leaders said it was financially misleading for anyone to portray the facility as reckless borrowing.
“The ₦206.78 billion facility was a syndicated development loan targeted at revitalizing key sectors such as education, agriculture, security, health, infrastructure, and social welfare. Governor Kefas met an almost empty treasury upon assumption of office and needed a financial bridge to stabilise governance and stimulate growth.
Approval does not equate to disbursement. Most of the figures quoted by Hon. Shiddi are approved ceilings, not actual funds accessed. The state government has drawn only a portion of the approved amount, guided by prudence and project readiness.”
They provided a breakdown of allocations as approved by the House of Assembly: ₦50 billion for education; ₦30 billion each for agriculture, security, and health; ₦40 billion for infrastructure; ₦5 billion each for the judiciary, microfinance, and the House of Assembly; ₦2 billion each for women affairs, digital economy, and waste management; and ₦5 billion for gratuity and pension enrolment for retirees.
The statement added that the Kefas administration has been clearing backlogs of pension and gratuity arrears for both state and local government retirees.
“Beyond figures, the impact is visible. Over 750 tractors have been procured and distributed to farmers, fertilizers supplied to boost yield, dry-season farming supported, and significant improvements recorded in public infrastructure, including the remodeling of the Taraba State House of Assembly Complex.
These are tangible results backed by clear repayment structures tied to FAAC, VAT, JAAC, and IGR inflows—a responsible, well-managed approach to development financing.”
On the ₦350 billion bond and the $268.63 million ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) facility, the youth leaders clarified that neither has been accessed yet.
“The ₦350 billion development bond is still at the planning and advisory stage, awaiting clearance from the Debt Management Office (DMO) and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Unlike commercial bank loans, bonds offer longer repayment periods and lower interest rates, reducing fiscal pressure on the state. Part of the bond proceeds will refinance short-term loans while funding strategic, long-term infrastructure projects,” they explained.
Regarding the $268.63 million ECOWAS facility, they described it as a project-financed investment, not a cash loan to the state treasury.
“This is a project-specific investment aimed at boosting agriculture, renewable energy, and industrial growth in Taraba. It will fund a 10,000-hectare rice farm and a state-branded rice mill, an industrial park for agro-processing and logistics, and a 50-megawatt solar power plant. This facility will repay itself through productivity and output. ECOWAS only funds projects that pass rigorous feasibility studies, risk assessments, and profitability evaluations.”
They further dismissed Shiddi’s claim that Taraba owes ₦1.2 trillion as “entirely false and financially indefensible,” citing official data from the Debt Management Office (DMO) showing the state’s debt profile at ₦84 billion—significantly lower than neighbouring states like Adamawa, Gombe, and Bauchi.
“Even in Hon. Shiddi’s own letter, he admitted that the state’s domestic debt reduced from ₦105.98 billion in 2022 to ₦86.96 billion under Governor Kefas—a clear sign of fiscal discipline. This fact alone invalidates his exaggerated ₦1.2 trillion narrative,” the statement read.
The youth leaders said borrowing under Governor Kefas’s administration is strategic, transparent, and development-driven.
They added that the administration has implemented key fiscal and governance reforms, including prompt payment of salaries and pensions, phased clearance of inherited arrears, adoption of a Treasury Single Account (TSA), strengthening of security infrastructure, and rehabilitation of major public assets such as the Jalingo Airport Terminal, Government House, the Greenhouse Project, and the School of Nursing.
They also listed completed or ongoing road projects—including the Wukari–Chinkai–Nasarawa Highway, which passes through Shiddi’s constituency—as evidence of visible progress.
“The claim that the House of Assembly is ‘too supportive’ of the executive reflects a misunderstanding of modern governance. Constructive collaboration between the legislature and the executive is not weakness; it is responsible democracy,” they said.
They added that under the Kefas administration, the minimum wage has been implemented twice—₦30,000 and ₦70,000—at full rate, not in percentages as in some other states. Security agencies, they said, have received sustained logistical and welfare support, while peace and stability have returned to communities, enabling farmers to resume full-scale agricultural activities.
They concluded by reaffirming confidence in Governor Kefas’s leadership.
“We wish to let the whole world know that Taraba State under Dr. Agbu Kefas is not borrowing to consume but to build a Taraba of the people’s dreams.”
