Kefas To Bwacha: We’re Yet To Receive $268m ECOWAS Bank Funds

The Agbu Kefas Campaign Council has tackled Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate over his allegation that that the $268 million secured by the Taraba State government from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) had disappeared.

The council said the allegation was premature because signing a financing agreement did not constitute the release of funds.

The council’s director of Media and Strategic Communication, Hon. Emmanuel Bello, who made the clarification yesterday in a response to Bwacha’s claims against Governor Agbu Kefas, said the funds had not been disbursed.

Hon. Bello explained that the financing agreements signed on 26th June, 2026, were intended to fund an integrated industrial park, irrigated rice production and processing, and a 50-megawatt solar power project.

He said the disbursement process was subject to the fulfilment of stipulated conditions, regulatory requirements and statutory approvals, contrary to the impression created by the opposition candidate.

He said the state government had not received the funds, making allegations of their disappearance or diversion untenable.

Bello cited the explanation by the state commissioner for Finance, Dr Sarah Enoch Adi, that the execution of the agreements did not automatically result in the release of the financing.

He urged Bwacha to distinguish between signing a financing agreement and the actual disbursement of funds, insisting that public officials and political actors were responsible for ensuring that their claims were backed by verifiable facts.

“If Senator Bwacha has credible information that the funds were disbursed and subsequently misappropriated, he should present the evidence to the appropriate authorities and the public,” Bello said.

The campaign council also turned the debate towards the opposition candidate’s policy agenda, asking him to explain how he intended to tackle insecurity, unemployment, infrastructure deficits and the state’s industrial development needs.

It maintained that the proposed industrial park and agricultural processing projects were designed to strengthen Taraba’s productive capacity, create economic opportunities and support development beyond the public sector.

Hon. Bello said the 2027 governorship contest should be determined by the quality of candidates’ proposals and their ability to address the challenges confronting residents, rather than allegations he described as unsupported.

He added that although Bwacha was entitled to question the policies and performance of the Kefas administration, such scrutiny should be based on evidence and accompanied by practical alternatives.

The campaign council said the state government had prioritised security, youth empowerment, infrastructure and economic development, while acknowledging the need to address persistent security concerns and deliver measurable results.

It urged the PDP candidate to study the details of the EBID financing arrangement and to present his own proposals to accelerate economic growth in the state.

The exchange comes as political activities ahead of the 2027 governorship election intensify, with the financing arrangement emerging as a point of contention between the ruling administration and the opposition.