Taraba State Commissioner for Energy and Economy, Hon. Naomi Tanko and the Director of Finance in the ministry were recently questioned by officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over allegations of mismanagement of N2 billion voted by the government for the procurement of power transformers in the state.
Our correspondent who has been following the development for several months gathered that the Commissioner and the Director of Finance were initially summoned by the Anti-Corruption Commission in 2024 and detained by the EFCC Gombe Zonal Office under Governor Egbu Kefas of the state on similar charges involving over N2 billion of sanctioned funds.
The N2B then approved by the administration was for the procurement and distribution of power transformers, with the aim of illuminating Taraba Governorate and urban areas with electricity for economic development.
It was therefore revealed that the action of the EFCC to invite the duo was initiated following some reports by civil servants and outcry by citizens of the state that over N2b released to the ministry was deposited into the personal accounts of the commissioner instead of the official account of the ministry before being paid to the contractors. “However, the same was compared in the process of returning the money to the ministries' accounts. A senior employee of the ministry confirmed this on the condition of anonymity.”
Civil servants in the Ministry and locals across the state have called on the Commissioner and the EFCC to provide more information on the whereabouts of the transformers or the N2B Transformer Fund earlier approved by Governor Kefas after waiting for the provision of transformers across the state to no avail.
“To date, the public has not received clear answers on whether the transformers were purchased, delivered and installed, the identity of the contractor and the outcome of the EFCC investigation, we are demanding answers because public money is
When the Commissioner for Energy and Economy, Honorable Naomi Tanko, was contacted she refused to comment on the matter, she also refused to respond to her phone calls and messages sent to her phone to clarify the issues.
