The Nasarawa State Government has dismissed an online report alleging it spent N707 million on refreshments and meals, describing the claim as false, malicious and misleading.
In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Governor Abdullahi Sule, Mr. Peter Ahemba, the government said the figure represented aggregated expenditure across ministries, departments and agencies over a nine-month period, not a single discretionary spending item.
According to the statement, the amount covered statutory and operational costs including meetings, trainings, workshops, security activities and programme implementation across MDAs, contrary to claims that it was spent solely on refreshments and meals.
The government also rejected allegations that the spending occurred at the expense of rural water provision, describing such assertions as “laughable” given sustained investments in water infrastructure across the state since 2019.
It listed interventions executed through the State Water Supply and Sanitation Agency, Ministry of Water Resources, the State Water Board and development partners, including rehabilitation and upgrades of water facilities in Doma, Keana, Awe, Lafia, Nasarawa Eggon, Keffi, Karu and other towns.
These interventions, the statement said, involved borehole rehabilitation, pump replacement, grid connections, dredging, plant renovations and procurement of operational equipment, amounting to billions of naira aimed at improving access to potable water in rural and urban communities.
The government urged media organisations, including Sahara Reporters, to verify facts before publication to avoid misleading the public, and called on residents to disregard the report in its entirety.
It reaffirmed its commitment to prudent use of public resources and the welfare of citizens, stressing that verifiable projects across the state contradict claims of neglect.
By Umar Muhammed
Follow us on:
