Taraba Decries Low Implementationof FG Projects in the State

Wole Ayodele in Jalingo

The Taraba State Government has decried the low performance of some agencies implementing  federal government zonal and constituency projects in the state.

 The State Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Solomon Elisha, who lamented the development at a press briefing  yesterday  in Jalingo, said the performance ratio of the agencies were gotten from the reports obtained by his ministry.

Besides, he noted that some of the zonal interventions are now being credited to individuals rather than the federal gsovernment as he described the development as worrisome.

According to Elisha, “Since 2020, some executing agencies (MDAs) used in implementing the National Budget in Taraba State as its customary for zonal intervention projects (ZIP) and consolidated capital projects from the  economic recovery and growth plan (ERGP) under Buhari administration have so far been observed with dismay.” “

“It’s been observed that some executing agencies have been used over the years for the execution and implementation of federal government constituency projects in Taraba State for certain senatorial districts and federal constituencies not withstanding their previous budget performance as it were poorly executed, unspecified, abandoned or even non-existent.

“It has also been observed that certain zonal intervention projects and consolidated capital projects are seen by many Tarabans as individual projects rather than federal government constituency projects that they truly are.

“The conceptualization of government project interventions as individual efforts becomes worrisome because the players are our supposed representatives who have cornered our sovereign wealth to become theirs.”

lisha stated that it has become imperative for the public to be aware of the development, stressing that his ministry among other functions is saddled with the responsibility of monitoring all the implementation of government programmes, projects and activities in the State, including federal or interventions from donor/development partners.

He listed some of the zonal interventions to include the supply of sewing machines at Taraba Central Senatorial District for employment of women and youths (2021ZIPO178) as well as grants to assist youths/widows in entrepreneurship to cushion the effect of COVID-19 in Wukari/lbi Federal Constituency, Taraba State (2021ZIPO373).

The zonal intervention projects, according to him also includes the Provision of Solar street light across Taraba North Senatorial  District, Taraba State (2021ZIP1139) among others.