Taraba South Senator Jimkuta, PDP candidate clash over alleged N500m fund

Senator representing Taraba South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, David Jimkuta, has denied allegations that he received N500 million earmarked for women’s empowerment programmes in the zone.

Jimkuta, through the Director-General of his campaign organisation, Garleya Gambo Suntai, described the allegation by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Taraba South, Dr Jessy Adi Ashimate, as false, baseless and misleading.

Suntai, in a statement on Monday, said neither the government nor any organisation had at any time handed Jimkuta N500 million for women’s empowerment.

Ashimate had, during the commencement of his campaign at the weekend, accused the senator of allegedly withholding N500 million allocated for the empowerment of women across southern Taraba.

According to the PDP candidate, N250 million was budgeted twice for the training and empowerment of women in the senatorial district through the senator.

“For the women in the southern zone, there was a budget of N250 million two times that was supposed to be used for your training through the senator. Was there any training?” Ashimate asked.

He further alleged that official records indicated that the project was ongoing despite what he described as the absence of the corresponding training programme.

Ashimate said he raised the issue to demand accountability over the management of public funds.

However, Suntai challenged the PDP candidate to produce evidence supporting his claim, including details of the alleged allocation and its disbursement.

“Everyone expected the PDP candidate for the southern senatorial district to come out and tell the people where the N500 million came from, when the money was released and his sources of information. He rather threw a vague allegation without substantiating it,” he said.

Defending Jimkuta’s record of empowerment initiatives in Taraba South, Suntai recalled that Ashimate had served as Commissioner for Finance in Taraba State and questioned his record of empowerment during his tenure in public service.