Taraba State Government has dismissed claims by Senator Emmanuel Bwacha that a $268 million financing agreement with the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) had gone missing, saying the funds are yet to be disbursed.
The government, through the Director of Media and Strategic Communication of the Kefas Campaign Council 2027, Hon. Emmanuel Bello, described the claims by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate as false.
In a statement issued on Monday, Bello said the financing agreement was signed to support projects in industrial development, agricultural production, and renewable energy, adding that signing the agreement did not mean the funds had been released.
He urged Bwacha to base his scrutiny of the administration of Governor Agbu Kefas on verifiable facts rather than claims capable of creating public anxiety.
“While Senator Bwacha is entitled to scrutinise the government and question its policies, such scrutiny must be guided by facts, not sensational claims designed to create public anxiety and cast unwarranted suspicion on the administration of His Excellency, Governor Agbu Kefas.
“We wish to state here that the $268 million financing agreement between the State Government and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development is not missing in the air; the funds are yet to be disbursed. It is all fake news about the claims of Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, the PDP governorship candidate,” the statement read.
Bello said the Taraba State Government signed the financing agreements with EBID on June 26, 2026, for an integrated industrial park, irrigated rice production and processing, and a 50-megawatt solar power project.
He cited a recent explanation by the state Commissioner for Finance, Dr Sarah Enoch Adi, that the signing of the agreements did not automatically trigger the release of funds, as disbursement remained subject to conditions precedent, regulatory processes and statutory approvals.
According to Bello, Bwacha should provide evidence to the appropriate authorities and the public if he had credible information that the funds had been disbursed and subsequently misappropriated.
“But to suggest that $268 million has disappeared in the air without establishing that the money was actually released is to substitute political alarm for verifiable evidence,” he said.
The campaign council also challenged Bwacha to explain his development plans for the state, including proposals for improving security, expanding youth employment, upgrading infrastructure and accelerating industrial development.
It maintained that the integrated industrial park and agricultural processing initiatives criticised by the former senator were among the projects the financing arrangement was intended to support.
“The forthcoming political contest should be about competing ideas, demonstrable records and credible plans for the future. Senator Bwacha has every right to challenge Governor Kefas, but he must also be prepared to answer questions about the substance of his own proposition for leadership,” Bello said.
The statement added that the Kefas administration had prioritised security, youth empowerment, infrastructure and economic development, while acknowledging the need to address existing security challenges and demonstrate measurable results.
It urged the PDP candidate to familiarise himself with the details of the financing arrangement and present what it described as a credible alternative for the state.
The campaign council said Tarabans deserved informed debate and accountability based on verifiable evidence as political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election gathered momentum.(Tribune Online)
