Tarabans set agenda for four years
You failed in first term
As Arch. Darius Dickson Ishaku took oath of office for the second term as the Executive governor of Taraba state yesterday, Tarabans from all walk of life had lamented the failure of his administration to fulfill most of the promises made on 29th May, 2015, four years ago. TarabaTruth and Facts has gathered.
Majority of those who spoke with TarabaTruth and Facts however set agenda for governor Darius hoping his led administration will make the desired difference in the next four years.
"My agenda for our Governor is prayer for peace, and let God give him heart of love for the civil servant in the state." Said Pastor Jacob Japheth, one of the thousand of civil servants struggling to adapt to life with delayed or no salaries.
Local government workers and primary school teachers are being owed salaries arrears, while pension and gratituty are not paid in the state to pensioners and retirees.
According to Barrister Bilyaminu Muhammad Bakoji, Esq, the state government under the stewardship of Governor Ishaku has failed to live up to expectations in critical areas such as peace and infrastructures. He however pray the state government will make good use of the next four years to make a breakthrough in critical sectors of the economy.
For Reverend Philemon Saredau, President of Christian Forum for Peace and Conflict Mitigation Taraba state chapter, the agenda on top of Governor Ishaku's table should be one to settle retirees their benefits not later than July this year and implement the new salary scale.
"He should have not more than twelve commissioners in his cabinet and no more than sixteen advisers to save over expenditures in governance. He should also hands off control of LGA funds to return life to local council." Rev. Saredau who served as Taraba Commissioner Boundaries for 20years has added
For Josiah Philip, a business man who works as an Artist in the state capital, what Tarabans need is no more than betterment of education most especially through employing qualified teachers and lecturers to properly man our classrooms and lecture halls.
A fish seller at Mayo Gwoi bus top who declined to have her name in print told our Correspondent that one of the top agenda for Governor Ishaku should also include a robust partnership with fish sellers to help unlock the business potentials of fish farming in the state.
A social commentator Kelvin Kuffi noted that the first tenure witnessed a very slow pace of development that preempt some to tag the governor a "failure and grossly underperformed but this another term can be corrected if he shows the political will to develop Taraba.”
Kuffi said every sane Taraban can attest to the fact that Education, infrastructures, security and humanitarian development suffer a big setback in Ishaku’s first tenure.
“I humbly plead with Governor Ishaku to make the following your topmost priority in his second tenure that began on Wednesday.
Education and welfare of Lecturers and Teachers; Payment of pensions and gratuities; Support the local government autonomy to ensure prompt payment of salaries, gratuities and pensions, and to enable development at the grassroots.
He advised the governor to operate an Open door policy for political appointees and a government of all inclusiveness with large youths participation.
He added that the governor should to embark on massive construction of roads to decongest the state capital and link some LGAs to the state capital to boost agricultural production and ease marketing of farm produce.
He noted that construction of tanker and trailer park; Implementation of new minimum wage and massive Job creation should top the governors priority.
He added that Primary schools should be declared free to enable parents who cannot afford the fees take their children to school and reduce street Hawking to it barest minimum which is one of the causes of child's molestation, initiation to cultism in the state .
‘I will do better in next four years’
Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku, while been officially sworn in Jolly Nyame Stadium Jalingo by the State Chief Justice Josephine Tukur along side the State Deputy Governor Haruna Manu promised to perform better in the next four years.
He assured Tarabans of a renewed commitment to better their lots in the second term in office.
He also assured students, parents and guardians who has been at the receiving end of the strike action embarked upon by lecturers of Taraba state university that negotiations has reached advanced stage and the prolonged strike will soon be called off.
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