**Abandoned Library Project: A Repeating Story in Jalingo** In a recent development, the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has started probing the alleged abandonment of a N365 million National Library state branch project in Jalingo, Taraba State. The committee has summoned officials of the National Library of Nigeria (NLN) to explain why the project, which was initially awarded in 2018, seems to have stalled despite substantial payments to the contractor. This investigation follows a petition by the civic organisation, BudgIT Foundation, which accused the agency of halting construction after paying about N292 million to the contractor. The Chief Executive Officer of NLN, Professor Veronica Anunobi, appeared before the committee to address the allegations. According to her, the contract for the Jalingo branch was initially awarded to Samsung and Asosu Nigeria Limited at N238 million in 2018, with an expected completion date of March 2019. However, the contract sum was revised to N365 million in March 2023, following an approved variation by the Federal Ministry of Education. The agency claimed that the project is approximately 85 per cent complete, with an outstanding balance of about N7.3 million. However, the committee expressed serious concerns about the project's status, citing that the contractor had not been present on-site since October 2023, despite substantial payments being made. The lawmakers also questioned the processing of the eighth payment certificate, valued at N65.2 million, alongside an earlier unpaid certificate, due to limited documentation to justify the disbursements. This development is far from isolated, as Nigeria's National Library in Abuja has remained incomplete since the contract for its construction was first awarded in 2006. The project, conceived as an 11-floor architectural landmark, was initially assigned to Messrs Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) at ₦8.590 billion, with a 22-month completion deadline. Over nineteen years on, the library is still a work-in-progress, repeatedly compromised by successive acts of poor governance. The investigation by the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee is a welcome development, as it aims to get to the root of the issue and ensure that the project is completed. By directing the National Library of Nigeria to submit all pending procurement and payment documents, the committee has taken a crucial step towards uncovering the truth behind the abandoned project. The committee's decision to constitute a three-member investigative team to conduct a physical inspection