Dalung demands breakdown of Plateau govt’s N10.1bn travel spending

Former Minister of Youth and Sports, Solomon Dalung, has asked the Plateau State Government to publish a detailed breakdown of the N10.1 billion it reportedly spent on travel and transport in the first six months of 2026.

Mr Dalung made the demand in a statement posted on his verified Facebook page, following the state government’s clarification that the expenditure covered travel, transport and related activities across the wider public service and did not represent spending on Governor Caleb Mutfwang’s travels alone.

The former minister said Plateau residents were entitled to know how the money was spent, particularly given the scale of the expenditure.

Government explains N10.1bn spending

The controversy followed a report published on Wednesday, which found that 33 state governments spent at least N512.10 billion on Government Houses, Governors’ Offices and travel and transport in the first six months of 2026.

The analysis, based on state budget implementation reports, identified Plateau as having the highest expenditure on travel and transport among the states covered, with N10.1 billion recorded under the relevant budget head.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Plateau State Government said the figure covered the wider public service, including ministries, departments and agencies, tertiary institutions, the judiciary and the State House of Assembly.

The statement, signed by the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Joyce Ramnap, said the largest portions of the expenditure were attributed to the Muslim Pilgrims Welfare Board, leave passage entitlements and training-related travel by various government agencies.

The government also said the expenditure included overseas training for lecturers of Plateau State University, Christian pilgrimage, judiciary-related travel, official travel by the House of Assembly, sponsorship of 200 students to India and medical assistance for citizens abroad.

It said Mr Mutfwang made only three international trips between January and June 2026.

According to the government, the trips were to the United States in January, the United Kingdom in March and another UK visit in June.

The government said the trips were undertaken for official engagements, including participation in the Presidential Prayer Breakfast and an international dialogue on multi-faith coexistence, as well as efforts to develop partnerships in tourism and other sectors.

Dalung asks for details

Mr Dalung acknowledged the government’s explanation that the N10.1 billion did not represent expenditure on the governor’s travels alone.

However, he said the explanation should be followed by a detailed disclosure of how the money was spent.

“To be fair, Government says this was not money spent on the Governor’s travels alone. It covered the wider public service, including MDAs, tertiary institutions, the Judiciary, House of Assembly, pilgrim boards, training, leave passages, scholarships and medical assistance abroad,” he said.

“Fair enough. But I have a question here.”

Mr Dalung said the state had received substantial funds since Mr Mutfwang assumed office in May 2023, adding that the public should be able to scrutinise how such resources were being used.

He asked the government to disclose how much was spent on pilgrimage, leave passages, overseas training, the 200 students reportedly sponsored to India, medical assistance abroad, the judiciary, the House of Assembly and the governor’s international trips.

“Not because every travel expenditure is necessarily wasteful. Not because training public servants is wrong. Not because scholarships or medical assistance abroad are wrong,” he said.

“But because N10.11 billion is public money.”

Mr Dalung said the government had not been accused of stealing the money, but that publishing the detailed expenditure would allow citizens to assess whether the funds were used in the public interest.

“Publish the detailed breakdown. The money belongs to Plateau,” he said.

“And if every naira was properly spent in the public interest, then opening the books should not weaken the government. It should strengthen its case.”

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Who is Solomon Dalung?

Mr Dalung, 61, is a lawyer, academic and politician from Plateau State. He served as Minister of Youth and Sports under former President Muhammadu Buhari from November 2015 to May 2019.

Before becoming a minister, he worked with the Nigerian Prisons Service, lectured at the University of Jos and served as chairman of Langtang South Local Government Area of Plateau State.

His latest comments add to growing public scrutiny of government spending at a time when states are receiving increased allocations from the federation account and citizens are demanding greater transparency in the use of public resources.