EXCLUSIVE: Taraba Governor Agbu Spends N2.4billion On Govt House Renovation In Six Months As Residents Face Water Crisis, Rising Out-Of-School Kids

Out of the N2.4 billion spent, N1.919 billion was expended in the second quarter of the year, representing April to June 2025.

A SaharaReporters’ review of the Taraba State budget performance document for the first six months of the 2025 fiscal year, representing Q1 and Q2 2025, has shown that a sum of N2.4 billion was spent by the Governor Kefas Agbu-led administration on the renovation of the Government House, Jalingo, and government lodges.

Out of the N2.4 billion spent, N1.919 billion was expended in the second quarter of the year, representing April to June 2025.

This expenditure comes despite the fact that between January and September 2024, the state government spent N855 million on the same purpose. 

This means that between January and September 2024, and January to June 2025, the Taraba State government spent a total of N3.2 billion on the renovation of the Government House, Jalingo, and government lodges.

While the state spent N2.4 billion on renovating the Government House, Jalingo, and lodges between January and June 2025, it generated only N9.6 billion as independent revenue (IGR) in the same period.

This implies that the state spent 25% of its internally generated revenue between January and June 2025 on renovating the Government House and lodges.

In the same period, between January and June 2025, the state spent only N435 million on its “State Universal Basic Education Board.” Further review shows that the Primary Healthcare Development Agency recorded an expenditure of N586 million.

The state government also spent more on renovating the Government House and lodges than it did on the Taraba State Specialist Hospital, Jalingo, which recorded an expenditure of N988.3 million.

While N2.4 billion was spent on the Government House and lodges renovation within January and June 2025, only N1.3 billion was recorded as expenditure for the Taraba State Polytechnic, Suntai, in the same period. The College of Education, Zing, recorded a total expenditure of N1.8 billion.

The capital expenditure of Taraba State University in the same period stood at N88.7 million, according to details in the state’s budget performance document.

Data from the National Bureau of Statistics shows that 86% of households in Taraba State lack access to clean drinking water.

 Another 83% of households in the state lack access to sanitary facilities.

The data further reveals that 48% of children in the state are denied access to education. 

Source: SaharaReporters.com | Continue to Full Story…