Faransa’s Taskforce Members Decry Non-Payment of Four-Month Allowance

Members of the Taraba State Special Task Force on Environmental Protection, Public Safety, Prohibition of Deforestation and Suspension of Mining Activities headed by retired Brigadier General Jeremiah AliyuFaransa, have raised alarm over the non-payment of their allowances for more than four months, despite an approved directive from the state governor.

According to an insider who spoke to this reporter under strict condition of anonymity, the members, numbering about 42, have not received any allowances since January 2025.

"We are yet to receive our allowances for over five months now. We don't actually know what the problem is," the source said. "The governor approved four months' allowance, and the finance office reportedly paid the money into the Task Force account, but none of us has been paid, and no one is saying anything."

The Task Force, chaired by Brigadier General Jeremiah Faransa (rtd), was constituted to tackle illegal mining activities and rampant deforestation across Taraba State — part of broader efforts to protect the environment and ensure public safety. The team, composed of security operatives and environmental monitors, has been instrumental in arresting violators and enforcing state regulations in remote forest regions and mining zones.

. The Task Force was inaugurated in June 2023 by the state governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, and has been working to combat illegal mining and deforestation, which pose significant environmental and security challenges.

Some of the members said despite the vital role they play in achieving Governor Kefas's vision to stop illegal mining activities in the state , the delayedpayment has demoralized them stressing that many of them are now struggling financially.

"There is growing frustration among us," the anonymous source continued. "We're still showing up for duty because we believe in the cause, but this silence and neglect from those responsible is discouraging. We used to enter dangerous forest and illegal mining sites to carry out our operations"

Efforts to get official comments from the Task Force leadership or the state Ministry of Finance were unsuccessful at the time of filing this report. However, affected members are calling on Governor Agbu Kefas to intervene and ensure transparency and prompt disbursement of their entitlements.