Taraba APC, Residents Knock Gov. Ishaku Overs Claim of developing 168 wards on TV

Residents and social media users in Taraba State have faulted claims by Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku that he has developed all the 168 wards in the state.

The Taraba state chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC)  said that the state governor Darius Ishaku's claims of bringing development to all parts of the state in a trending video is not only total falsehood but a deliberate move to mislead the public.

The Governor during a live interview on Channels Television had claimed to have develop every wards in the state in the last six years of his administration.

The Governor said: "If I haven't become the governor of Taraba state, what i have done to me people  no one will ever do that for them.

"I am inviting you come to Taraba state, have you ever been to Taraba? If you come now you will see the difference in the villages, all round. I have 168 Wards there none that I have not developed something into it. I have won water man of the year. I have put a smile on the faces of Tarabans" however many residents are disagreeing with the Governor over his comment during the live television interview saying they are many wards in the state which lack government presence.

"They are some Wards in Taraba State that has never benefitted anything from this government; some are close like in Lau, Ardo-Kola, Karim Lamido that this government has not executed any project since its inception, the governor has invited the Journalist to come to Taraba, we will take him there.  

On Social media, users launched a hashtag #seuncometoTaraba #comeandseeTaraba among others criticizing the governor's statement and sharing images from wards across the state.

Among pictures shared on social media includes a wooden bridge in Lamido Barno Ward in Ardo-Kola Ward, and a bad portion of road in Nanguru ward in Gassol, among others. 

Others said many of the governor's projects are abandoned and yet to be completed in the rural areas.

"Our communities are littered with uncompleted projects, the General Hospital in Lisam is not completed, the Yorro-Pantisawa road is abandoned, the people can't see the governor's 168 project in the wards," a commentator wrote. 

Another respondent in Ibi Local government said no project can be sighted in Serkin "In my ward, have been asking questions on what this government has done for my people and we are yet to find answer, maybe  Damper 2 and 3 are not part of Taraba State, also there is no project in Sarkinkudu Ward 3.

Led by the state APC Chairman, Barrister Ibrahim Tukur El-Sudi, the leadership of the party said "everybody in Taraba State knows that the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) government has not been working in the state."

Lamenting that all Tarabans, irrespective of religious, tribes and party affiliations "are in penury and in pains that we elected somebody who came to tell lies to Nigerians that he had worked" they challenged Ishaku to be man enough to conduct media practitioners in the state round the projects "he is claiming to have put in place in the entire 168 wards."

Citing the former administration led by late governor Danbaba Suntai, who they said ignited development to the state by constructing four kilometers roads in all the sixteen local government councils of the state, the governor, as suggested by the party should concentrate on how to move the state forward and resist from "telling lies to Nigerians and the world at large. "

Sad that "as at today only twelve local government councils have received their June salaries" the need for the governor to be upright, they said has become necessary for the growth of the state, stating that "we are calling on the Taraba state governor to stop telling the world what he has not done."

Stressing the party's readiness and determination to tread extra legitimate miles to "debunk what the governor has told the world " they said we are challenging him to roll out the score cards of what he has done in the state.

The party, which could not fathom why the governor has gone as far as telling the world what is not visible in the state, said "all the hospitals in this state are merely consulting clinics as at today".

According to the party, "none of the hospitals are optimally operating, they are just barely surviving because even the upkeep which they are supposed to get to keep them functioning, they don't even get it on time."

A development expert in Jalingo, Salis Umaru said most of governmnet projects do not resonate with the people at the local level.

"Yes, they are projects across the wards but how many of them resonate with the people, how has the project affected the people. Government should always carry the people along when planning projects for them. For some wards, the project executed by the government might not be the people's priority so they won't consider it as an achievement for the government, but the government will consider it an achievement." 

However a government official who does not want to be named  said the Governor might be truly right on having projects on every wards in the state because available records from CSDP shows that projects were executed in all the wards in the last six years.

"In ward in Kpambo, Ussa local government, the government under Ishaku provided with electricity through the CSDP, also in the last six years the CSDP had drilled hundreds of boreholes, built cottage clinics and small roads across the state. Those projects are sited across the 168 wards in the state. All these are efforts of the governor, He has the figures and would defend his statement anyday."