From SAMUEL MATHIAS, Minna
Former Niger State Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Jonathan Vatsa, has challenged the state government to account for N1 trillion in road funds, questioning the money’s whereabouts amid abandoned projects and continued borrowing.
Vatsa raised the issue in Minna while questioning the increase in the cost of remodelling the Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (IBB) Specialist Hospital from N11.8 billion to N18.2 billion.
He alleged that the hospital remained dilapidated despite the additional N6.4 billion, while road projects across the state had also been abandoned.
“The question now is, where is the N1 trillion? What happened to the money?” he asked.
Vatsa said the governor had initially requested N500 billion for road rehabilitation across the state, and warned that borrowing without purposeful spending could burden future generations.
He also questioned the Niger Foods programme, alleging that no grain had been harvested under the initiative in the last three and a half years.
Vatsa said the government’s New Niger agenda should be judged by completed development projects rather than political slogans.