Ishaku denies N2bn take-home vehicles, opposition kicks

Bala Dan-Abu, the governor of Taraba State’s special adviser on media and publicity, declared on Sunday that it was inaccurate to claim that N2 billion had been granted for the purchase of luxury automobiles for the governor, his deputy, and their wives.

He said the claim that the State Executive Council authorized the funding was simply the product of social media writers’ fantasies.

We don’t want the mainstream media to accept it, Dan-Abu remarked.

There is no substance to it. The writers on social media just made up the narrative.

The purported N2 billion in luxury vehicles, however, were deemed ridiculous by the state’s opposition Action Alliance Party at a time when the government still owed pensions and gratuities.

In a conversation with our correspondent, Moses Kugba, the state’s AA chairman, stated, “There is already resentment over the N2bn approval. Taraba’s residents are not content. Just about how many schools and township roads Taraba State would be able to restore with these billions. Consider the effect the N2 billion will have on Taraba State University.

“The governor has a right to use company cars, but the timing is off. We anticipate the governor to complete some of his unfinished projects rather than taking out such a big sum of money to buy cars.

The All Progressives Congress, the state’s largest opposition party, was unable to respond to requests for comment because Ibrahim Tukur-Elsudi, the party’s chairman, did not answer calls placed to his line or respond to a text message sent to his phone.

Additionally, it was unable to reach Mr. Aaron Arthimas, the state’s APC publicity secretary, because his line appeared to be disconnected.

However, numerous Jalingo citizens, including Lamini Ayua, Tanko Uba, Yusuf Mohammed, and Livinus Agyo, who spoke with our correspondent, pushed back against the reported N2 billion automobile gift.

“I want to advise Governor Ishaku to rescind his approval on the project because the state needs such funds for better developmental activities,” said Uba, one of the residents, to our reporter.

The governor (supposedly) approved such a sum of money for himself days before leaving office, despite the fact that the state is in a major economic crisis, the debt profile of the state is enormous, and salaries and pensions are not being paid.

Currently, the state cannot afford that. Ishaku should not be too centered on himself. In light of the current state of affairs, the governor’s reported approval of such a sum of money for himself, his deputy, and their wives was motivated by greed.

With only 18 days left in his term, Premium Times reported that the Taraba governor had approved spending N2 billion on expensive cars for himself, his deputy, and their wives.

According to a source cited by the online daily, “Governor Darius Ishaku asked the council to approve a memo he presented for the purchase of vehicles for himself, his deputy, and their wives in our last SEC meeting and it was swiftly approved without any argument.”

The report claims that the governor’s memo stated that he would receive two Toyota Land Cruiser SUVs, two escort Toyota Hilux vans, and a utility vehicle, while his wife would receive a Land Cruiser SUV valued at N1.3 billion.

According to the memo, the deputy governor, Haruna Manu, would be given one escort vehicle, two Land Cruiser SUVs in lower trim levels, and his wife will be given an SUV and a utility vehicle.

The governor and his deputy have been driving the same Lexus 570 SUVs since taking office in 2015, according to checks done by our correspondent.