BudgIT Exposes Taraba’s Rot: ₦5.55bn for Wukari, Patients Sleep on Mats at Jibu Hospital

A civic technology organisation, BudgIT, has exposed a stark contradiction in Taraba State, revealing that Wukari Local Government Area received a total of ₦5.55 billion in gross FAAC allocation between January and August 2026, yet patients at Jibu General Hospital are still receiving treatment on mats on the floor.

In a post on its verified X handle on Monday, BudgIT shared images of patients lying on mats inside the dilapidated hospital, describing the situation as a reflection of deep-seated governance failure. The organisation also revealed that Taraba State ranked 34th out of 36 states in its Q1 2026 State Fiscal Transparency League, scoring zero for its fiscal data repository. This means that while public money is flowing into the state, citizens cannot easily see, track or monitor how it is being used.

The condition of Jibu General Hospital is particularly troubling because Wukari is the home local government area of Governor Agbu Kefas. Photographs obtained showed patients lying on mats, with several parts of the hospital in a state of disrepair. One photograph showed a woman receiving treatment on a mat instead of a hospital bed.

A review of Taraba State budget performance documents by SaharaReporters revealed that the state budgeted ₦2.6 billion for capital expenditure by the Primary Health Care Development Agency in 2026, but as of the half-year period, none of that allocation had been spent. In 2025, the state budgeted ₦2.8 billion for the same agency, yet only about ₦139 million was spent throughout the year.

₦5.55 billion.

That is the total of what Wukari LGA received in gross FAAC allocation from Jan -August 2026.

Yet here are residents of Wukari receiving treatment on mats on the floor of Jibu General Hospital.

You should also know that Taraba ranked 34th out of 36 states in… https://t.co/MbAkRB9uMT

— BudgIT Nigeria (@BudgITng) September 11, 2026

Meanwhile, the state government has approved a reported ₦80 billion for the construction of a flyover in the same Wukari Local Government Area. Residents who spoke to SaharaReporters said the condition of the hospital was difficult to reconcile with the government’s decision to commit such a huge amount to a flyover project. One source said: “Jibu Hospital is in Wukari, the governor’s own local government. Look at the situation of the hospital. Patients are sleeping on mats and the whole place is dilapidated. Yet the government is talking about spending ₦80 billion on a flyover in the same Wukari”.

Another source raised concerns about the administration’s approach to public contracting, saying: “You know that is the kind of contract that generates so much money for campaign”.

Taraba State’s 2026 budget stands at ₦650.63 billion, with ₦457.74 billion representing 70.6 per cent allocated to capital expenditure. However, healthcare received only 6.19 per cent of the total budget. The state’s low ranking in fiscal transparency, combined with the non-implementation of allocated health funds and the dilapidated state of a general hospital in the governor’s home local government, has raised serious questions about the government’s spending priorities and its commitment to the welfare of Taraba residents.

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