NAN
The Taraba State Government says it is not true that the state is broke and cannot not pay its bills.
Mr Ate Saleh, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, said this at a news conference in Jalingo on Monday.
He said that allegations, which were credited to Dr David Jedua, the Chairman of Sardauna Local Government of the state, on the facebook, were not true.
According to him, it is also not true that the state government cannot pay the salaries of its workers.
The commissioner, however, said that the state had been paying the salaries of its workforce and had also met all its financial obligations.
He said the state government had also settled the cost of projects started by the ailing Gov. Danbaba Suntai and on other ongoing projects across the state.
“Apart from this, the state had since May 2013, implemented the N18, 000 minimum wage for all the staff of the 16 local government areas of the state.
“In September last year, the state made history when it paid salaries without waiting for Federal Allocation,” he said.
The commissioner said the Jalingo-Garba-Chede N12 billion road project handled by PW Nig. Ltd., had since been completed and put to use.
He said that the same firm was handling the Bali-Gashaka-Gembu road worth N17 billion.
“If they were not paid their earlier contract sum, I doubt if they could agree to sign an agreement to undertake the new road to Gembu,” the commissioner said.
Saleh appealed to the people of the state to unite and give the acting Governor the required support to move the state forward.
Meanwhile, Jedua told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on telephone on Monday that there was no time he circulated such allegation on the facebook.
He challenged anyone with proof to the contrary to come forward and present it.
