Taraba's Munga Dosso community asks Kefas to probe ₦200m project spending
- Munga Dosso in Karim Lamido LGA says it was left out of ₦200m projects approved for the Bikwin area.
- The community's association wants Governor Agbu Kefas to investigate how the money was shared.
- It also wants a separate political ward covering nine villages, and denies sharing an identity with Munga Lelau.
A community in Taraba State has written to Governor Agbu Kefas asking him to look into how ₦200 million approved for development projects in the Bikwin area was spent, saying its own people were left out.
The Munga Dosso Development Association (MDA), in Karim Lamido Local Government Area, made the request in a petition signed by its national president, Ishmael Thomas. Journalists obtained the petition on Thursday.
The group says the projects ended up in neighbouring Munga Lelau, while Munga Dosso still has no government primary healthcare centre, public boreholes, government-built culverts or motorable roads. It says it raised the matter with the authorities more than once without a response.
The petition does not list the projects or say how much each community received, and the claims have not been independently checked.
What the community is asking for
Munga Dosso says its representatives sat in a meeting with Bikwin stakeholders before the ₦200 million was released, but were shut out of the work that followed.
The association also argues that its population and voting strength have not brought it fair representation, projects or access to government benefits.
It wants the governor to support a new political ward made up of nine villages: Bwai, Bugbamui, Bunkawai, Bunkaubu, Bunkachi, Mudang, Bukadui, Bukaregwag and Nwaminshi. The group puts their combined population at between 120,000 and 150,000, a figure that has also not been verified.
According to the petition, a separate ward would give the community a stronger voice in local government and a better chance at public resources.
The group also insists Munga Dosso and Munga Lelau are not the same place. It says the two have been distinct since its ancestors gave land to Munga Lelau settlers, and it wants the registration of a similarly named group, the Munga Development Association (MUDA), reviewed to avoid confusion.
It further accused a Facebook page, Munga Galleries, of posting material that could stir trouble between the two communities. The petition says MDA leaders raised the issue twice with Munga Lelau leaders without a resolution, and that Karim Lamido council chairperson Virginia Baba Bambur warned against anything that could spark conflict.
The association wants anyone found to have spread false or unlawful material that could cause a clash investigated and dealt with lawfully. It says it is ready to meet the governor and remains committed to living peacefully with its neighbours.
For residents, the petition turns on everyday needs: a health centre, clean water and roads that work in the rains. A new ward, if approved, would also change how the area is represented at the council level.
What happens next
The petition is now before the governor. There is no word yet from the Taraba State Government on whether it will investigate the spending or act on the ward request. Creating a ward is a state matter and usually takes time.
