Taraba: From bush to forest

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By Yusuf Salihu Sansani, Jalingo

The people of Taraba State are yearning for the administration of previous civilian governors in the state who they referred to as doyen of development particularly the first Civilian Governor Reverend Jolly Tavoro Nyameh and pharmacist Danbaba Danfulani Suntai for their legacies and landmark achivements describing the administration of the immediate past Governor Darius
Dickson Ishaku and that of the present Governor Dr Agbu Kefas as from bush to forest.

The people noted that while Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku initiated and completed the orkward fly over at the road block Jalingo at exovitant rate and the dormand green house which they considered as a conduit pipe that he will be remembered for quite a long time, Governor Agbu Kefas did not initiated and completed any protect but only soft touching and Commissioning old projects initiated, executed and Commissioned by former Military and Executive Governors of the State and busy renaming the old projects after his godfather rtd General TY Danjuma without any shame.

Some of the people who spoke with Apex News Exclusive in Jalingo said there is nothing to write home about his Free Education policy saying that although he paid WEAC and NECO fees for Students in the State, reduced the fees for tertiary Institutions by half, he failed woefully in the provisions of basic necessities for the successful take off of the Free Education Policy.

“Governor Kefas failed to fulfilled his promise of constructing 60 new schools, providing uniforms, bags and sandals to the pupils and students in primary and Secondary schools in the State as he prmised severally” one of the concerned citizens noted.

“The contract for the supply of this items to Omas at N24 billion which highly exhobitant has now become a source of confrontation between the Governor and the Contractor who was paid N10 billion naira as mobilization to bring the items from China but refused to released them to the State Government when he brought them to Jalingo claiming that what he brought was far more than what he what he received as mobilization and demanded for the down payment of the balance of N14 million before releassing the items. which might be due to disagrrement over the sharing formular one
of the concerned persons Bisalla Hikima said.

Another citizen Abdul Isa, one of their major worry on Dr Agbu Kefas administration is his rising loan profile for the State estimated to over N75O billion just within two years of his administration, the highest in the history of the State without commensurate development.

“We are afraid at the rate at which the loan profile of the Governor is rising almost on a daily basis which is not only detrimental to us but also to our children and children yet unborn who will come to carry the burden, even at the moment nothing is going straight in the State, workers salaries and pension are not paid as and when due, the gratuity which he promised to be releasing funds for payment has stopped, Local Government Staff are in dissaray for lack of salary, primary school teachers are the worst hit because as of today may 25th, 2025 they are yet to collect their April Salary which is due huge loans collected by the Governor in different sources as a result he is not be able to do anything or even pay salaries after deductions of the various loans by financial organizations we are in serious trouble if he continue like that nothing will be moving in Taraba State before the end of his first term in office”, they added.

They said that Taraba State is already in shambles citing the Namnai bridge which is on a Federal Highway that collapsed almost a year ago and during a visit to collapsed bridge in his usual false promises the Governor earmarked N19 billion for reconstruction of the bridge which we feel is too high but up til date no effort has been made either by the Federal or the Taraba State Government living the people in untold hardships.

“We are tired of false and unfulfilled promises we cannot continue like that even the over 1,000 individuals he appointed as advisers and special Advisers are yet to be paid even for one month nearly a year, the Government is saying that their appointments are yet to be formalized what type of Government is that if Governor Kefas cannot cope up let him give way to a competent person at the end of his first tenure we are tired of dilly- dally please go aside,” Zagabon Ifraimu said.