N26.8bn NEDC Projects Flop, Abandoned, Unfinished in Taraba

• Petition Exposes Ghost Projects Across 16 LGAs

Fresh concerns are trailing the activities of the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) in Taraba State after investigations revealed that more than ₦26.8 billion worth of projects allocated to the state are either abandoned, poorly executed, or never started at all.

According to records obtained by Taraba Truth and Facts Newspaper, 54 projects were officially awarded by the NEDC between 2019 and 2022 to accelerate development in Taraba.

They cut across critical sectors such as road construction, education, healthcare, water supply, housing, and ICT. However, checks across several local government areas reveal that nearly 80 percent of these projects exist only on paper.

The projects were budgeted during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. Official documents claimed steady progress as of 2022, but independent investigations in a petition signed by a human rights activist and legal practitioner, Barr. Isa Buba, paint a grim picture of neglect and unfulfilled promises.

Road Projects in Limbo

Among the most notable are the ₦6.2 billion Lau–Karim Lamido Road and the ₦10.96 billion rehabilitation of the Jalingo–Mararraban Apawa–Yola Road. Both were reported by the NEDC as "ongoing" in 2022. Yet, our correspondents who visited Lau and Karim Lamido communities found no visible construction, leaving residents frustrated and cut off from essential markets.

"Every rainy season, we lose our farm produce because the roads are impassable. Government said money was released for this road, but nothing has changed," lamented Musa Ibrahim, a farmer in Lau.

Schools, Hospitals and Boreholes Missing

The situation is no better in the education and health sectors. A ₦700 million virology laboratory project was meant to strengthen Taraba's healthcare system, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, the site remains an empty piece of land.

In Kurmi and Sardauna LGAs, communities are still waiting for primary schools and health centers supposedly built under the NEDC scheme. Residents in Zing, Takum, and Karim Lamido also complained that boreholes promised under the ₦300 million rural water intervention never materialized.

"We were told boreholes were approved for our area. Till today, we trek several kilometers to fetch water from streams," said Hauwa Adamu, a mother of five in Takum.

Housing Projects Stalled

The commission also announced mass housing estates in Jalingo and other parts of Taraba worth billions of naira. Investigations, however, show that only foundation blocks were laid in some sites before contractors abandoned them. In other locations, no sign of work exists.

The petitioners called on Governor Kefas to establish a powerful fact-finding committee to visit all 16 LGAs, verify the status of the projects, and publish a comprehensive report. They further requested that the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Jalingo and Wukari branches, be represented in the investigative panel to ensure transparency and accountability.

Public outrage is mounting as residents lament years of underdevelopment despite billions being allocated. Farmers in Lau say they are still cut off by impassable roads; residents of Kurmi and Sardauna complain of uncompleted schools and health centers; while households in Zing, Takum, and Karim Lamido await boreholes that were supposedly drilled.

The lawyer described the situation as a betrayal of trust. "The NEDC was created to rebuild the Northeast after years of neglect and insurgency. What we are seeing in Taraba is outright economic sabotage," said a Jalingo-based activist.

Governor Agbu Kefas is now under pressure to act decisively. Many citizens believe his administration must not only expose the alleged fraud but also pursue justice through the EFCC and relevant federal authorities.

"The time has come to hold contractors, officials, and agencies accountable," the petition emphasized. "Taraba cannot continue to suffer while development funds vanish into thin air."

Recall that a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governorship aspirant in Taraba State, Chief David Sabo Kente (DSK), has accused the North-East Development Commission (NEDC) of neglecting the state in its intervention projects.

Kente, who once served as Taraba's representative at the commission, said the NEDC has failed to deliver any major road projects in the state, unlike in other states of the North-East region.

"The NEDC should look at Taraba State with compassion. No single road has been done by the commission in the state, unlike what is tenable in other states in the region," Kente told journalists.

He urged the state government to engage the commission more aggressively by appointing a consultant who would liaise regularly on behalf of the governor and the people of Taraba to ensure the state benefits from the NEDC's interventions.