By Suleiman Abubakar Rimi Uku Lafia
The Nasarawa State Government has dismissed as false and misleading a report by Sahara Reporters alleging that the state expended N707 million on refreshments and meals while neglecting rural water supply projects.
Reacting to the publication, Hon. Peter Ahemba, ANIPR, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Public Affairs, said the report deliberately misrepresented official expenditure data to mislead the public and discredit the administration of Governor Abdullahi A. Sule.
According to Ahemba, the N707 million referenced in the report represents aggregated spending by multiple Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) over a nine-month period and not a lump-sum expenditure on refreshments as alleged.
“The amount cited covers legitimate statutory and operational costs incurred by MDAs, including meetings, trainings, workshops, security-related engagements and programme implementation,” Ahemba explained, adding that the portrayal of the figure as a single discretionary expense was “erroneous and ill-motivated.”
He also described as “laughable” claims that the state government had neglected rural water provision, stressing that the Sule-led administration has, since 2019, prioritised water infrastructure development across the state.
Ahemba noted that significant reforms and interventions have been executed through the State Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (NASWASSA), the Ministry of Water Resources, the State Water Board, and development partners, following the establishment of a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Taskforce and the enactment of enabling laws.
He listed major rehabilitation and upgrade works carried out in Doma, Keana, Awe, Lafia, Nasarawa Eggon, Keffi and Karu, among other communities, involving grid connections, pump replacements, dredging, borehole rehabilitation, renovation of water plants and procurement of operational equipment, with investments running into billions of naira.
“These interventions are visible, verifiable and spread across rural and urban communities of the state, clearly contradicting any narrative of neglect,” Ahemba said, urging the public to disregard the report in its entirety.
The Senior Special Assistant further stated that investments in water supply form part of a broader development strategy encompassing education, healthcare, rural development and other critical sectors, aimed at improving the welfare of citizens and ensuring sustainable development.
Reiterating the administration’s commitment to prudence, accountability and transparency, Ahemba said the Nasarawa State Government welcomes informed scrutiny of public finances but called on media organisations to verify facts before publication to avoid misleading the public and undermining confidence in governance.
