RT. Hon. Abel Diah
RT. Hon. Abel Diah 


Chuwang Emmanuel

The lawmaker representing Mbanga constituency at the Taraba state House of Assembly, Abel Diah has expressed strong support for Governor Agbu Kefas decision to probe the immediate past administration, saying the investigation will lead to mind-boggling revelations.
Diah who was a former Speaker of the state Assembly said those calling on the Kefas administration to ignore the massive looting of the state treasury by the Ishaku administration and move on are not fair to Tarabians.

“No responsible government can afford to ignore the corruption of Ishaku’s government, it will amount to endorsing corruption and impunity.”

Diah who resigned as a speaker in December 2019 said he suffered persecution and betrayal because he disagreed with Ishaku over many issues that are detrimental to the state.

Recall Kefas on Monday constituted a nine-member committee to review the activities of the dissolved various Boards and Commissions that sat in the state from 2019 to date.

The move is perceived as a strategy to commence the probe of Ishaku’s administration.


The directive to set up the investigative committee was made public by the Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Timothy Kataps in a statement signed by him.

The statement read in part: “The Executive Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas has approved the dissolution of all existing boards and commissions still existing in the state under any description howsoever referred to.


“This dissolution is with immediate effect and members of the boards and commissions affected are to hand over all government assets and property, moveable and immovable in their possession to the most senior civil servant in such boards or commissions within 48 hours from the date of this announcement.

“The Governor has also approved the constitution of a Nine (9) man committee to review the activities of the dissolved boards, commissions, and governing councils in Taraba State from 2019 to 2023,” the statement disclosed.

The review committee, which is headed by the state Auditor-General, Mr. Polycarp Iranius, according to the statement, is to determine the performance of all the boards/commissions and the inflows/outflows of funds of the board/commissions within the period.

The committee, composed of experienced technocrats is mandated to also determine the performance of the boards/commissions in terms of service as it affects them in the interest of the state as well as determine the performance of the boards/commissions and their performance indexes, negative or positive as it affects the various zones and components of the state.

The statement directed the committee to suggest to the government how best to re-organize the Boards and Commissions to function optimally and achieve their set objectives in the best interest of the state.
Mr. Diah alleged that billions of Naira were siphoned in the state by corrupt public officials with the support and backing of Ishaku, wondering how the government of the day can meet its obligations to the citizens if it refuses to recover the huge funds taken away by Ishaku and his thieving officials.

“I am totally in support of the present governor’s move to dig into the activities of the last administration, and it should not be limited to only commissions, boards and parastatals, it is absolutely exigent for the Kefas administration to do all it can to uncover all the perpetrators and recover the looted funds.”


“I am calling on all Tarabians to support the Kefas Administration’s probe decision, to get to the root of the corrupt issues,” he said.

Recall in an exclusive report by PREMIUM TIMES Ishaku’s name appeared on the list of the 28 outgoing governors to be investigated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Why the probe?
It was gathered that the EFCC is beaming its searchlight on Mr. Ishaku, over allegations of massive corruption, award of ghost contracts, and diversion of state and local government funds running into billions of Naira.

It is alleged that Ishaku diverted N20 billion source as a loan for rural road projects but no single rural road was constructed.

In 2021 an anti-corruption group known as Taraba Integrity and Accountability Group (TIAGJ), petitioned EFCC accusing Ishaku of using his younger sister Gladys Maman, to launder billions of Naira for him via hoax contracts.

The organization claimed the accounts of the Taraba government house, in Jalingo, and the Office of the Secretary to the State Government, (SSG) are channeled through which billions of naira were siphoned from 2015 to 2020.

TIAGJ alleged that Ishaku’s younger sister, Mrs. Mamman, a member of the Taraba State Primary Board, uses pseudo companies linked to her BVN (withheld) to launder billions for the governor.

The group said that no Local Government Council has been able to undertake a project worth N5 million from 2015 to 2020, because the funds are centrally misappropriated.

TIAGJ said between August and September 2015, the Taraba accessed a credit facility of N2 billion to finance lending to small and medium-scale commercial farmers through the Taraba State Agricultural Development and Investment Limited (TADIL).

“This fund to the best of our knowledge was diverted into private pockets of the Governor and his cronies, as no such financing of agricultural activities took place”, the petition signed by Lazarus Mbamo read.

It said the state received a Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) bailout loan of N37,655,975,922, comprising N23,135,682,937 for the state government, and N14,520,292,985 for the 16 Local Government Areas.

Mbamo stated “without fear of contradiction” that the bailout was “largely stolen”, defeating the reason for which it was approved by federal authorities.

“Around October 2015, Taraba obtained N9,400,000,000 for offsetting of overdraft on salaries; Bureau of Local Government for salaries; Purchase of assorted vehicles for the Governor, Deputy Governor, SSG’s convoy and the State House of Assembly members; and also, for PW Nigeria Limited, Gembu Road Construction.

“In November 2015, Taraba obtained yet another loan of N10 billion for the purpose of agricultural and infrastructural projects in the state. This money was wildly siphoned from the coffers of the state, as there were no such infrastructural projects to justify the huge borrowing.

“Between January and February 2017, the government received a refund of Excess Debt service by Paris Club to the tune of N4,202,983,799. Curiously, the Governor bypassed laid down financial tenets and singlehandedly opened a new strange account and lodged the money without the Accountant General’s involvement.”

“Again in July 2017, the government received another tranche of the Excess Crude refund of N4.2billion which it claimed was going to be utilized for the construction of a road, electrification project and construction and rehabilitation of PHC facility, and purchase of a mobile clinic.

“In August 2017, Taraba received another refund of Excess Debt Services Payment by Paris Club to the tune of N5,612,014,491. The Darius Ishaku-led administration claims the money was used for the construction of Lecheke – Pantisawa road, Wukari – Tsokundi road, payment of outstanding workers’ salaries, and rehabilitation of Wukari, Gembu, and Bambur General Hospitals.

“Between March and April 2018, Taraba accessed a credit facility of N1.5 billion naira, which the government claimed was to finance and boost commercial agriculture. This money was also clearly diverted and taken into private possessions.”

The petition added that within the same period (March/April 2018), the Ishaku administration accessed another N5 billion credit facility from a bank.

The fund was for the provision of associated irrigation equipment to support dry season cultivation of soya beans and rice on an estimated 250 hectares of farmland in Karim Lamido and other locations under the Taraba Agricultural Development Program.

About N2 billion naira of the loan was to enable the state to establish one model cattle ranch in each of the senatorial districts, Mbamo noted.

TIAGJ also wants EFCC to investigate the inflow of N28 billion which Ishaku received as the offer of a promissory note discounting facility being refunded for the construction of Jalingo-Sunkani-Garba Chede road, Bali-Serti-Gembu road, and Jalingo-kona-Lau road.

In the last few days Mr. Ishaku has embarked on the commissioning of various uncompleted projects across the state, some of the projects include the DDI garden estates, 5.3 million multi-purpose water reservoir and recreation center, Dakka and Pantisawa roads.

Another project not completed but commissioned is the 22km dual carriage road in Jalingo, of which only 14km has been completed.