JagindiIt is a fact that the mention of Chief David Sabi Kente, popularly called DSK, readily brings smiles to the faces of the teeming youths, widows and orphans in Taraba state.
Chief DSK is synonymous with care, love, empathy, youth empowerment, scholarship to the less privileged, widows and orphans’ support.
His presence in every occasion or gathering pulls so much crowd, but, ironically, he sends confusion, tension and alters political calculation in the camps of his political opponents.
He is a crowd puller and a philanthropist of repute. Kente gives freely to the needy, supports community development initiatives, a master of empowerment, very humble, God fearing and a lover and promoter of peaceful coexistence.
DSK is not the regular Nigerian politician, not the type that uses religious or ethnic coloration to advance his personal cause, neither is he among politicians that promise and fail, pledge without redemption, deceive masses during and after elections, among many other political ills.
For Kente, a promise made is a promise kept and accessibility to all, especially people at the grassroots, is one of the top qualities that distinguishes him from other leaders, as he operates an open door policy at all times.
According to statistics Nigerian youths ages 18-35 constitute about 65% of the population.This demography also translates to the voting population and political equation in the country.
Therefore this political arithmetic favours DSK more than every other aspiring politician in Taraba state, because only him enjoys unconditional love form the youths.
Taraba youths pray for him daily and embark on selfless campaigns in order to mobilise others to join in the agitation for DSK candidacy for 2023.
His supporters believe and see him as the most suitable replacement for Governor Darius Ishaku.
They also believe only DSK can be fair to all and consolidate on the achievements recorded by the current administration.
There is no doubt that Kente is well equipped academically, religiously and humanitarialy to lead the great people of Taraba, come 2023.
DSK was born 56 years ago in Kente village of Wukari local government area, Taraba state.
He obtained his first School Leaving Certificate and proceeded to Mbiya Government Secondary School in Takum LGA where he obtained the West African School Certificate (WASCE).In his quest to acquire more knowledge, Chief Kente obtained his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc), degree in Acoountancy in 1988.
He did his mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), programme in Kebbi Local Government Secretariat, in the then old Sokoto state.
After his NYSC, he joined the service of the defunct Gongola State Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), as an accountant under the Man-power Reserved Scheme from June to September 1989.
He was later absorbed into the state civil service as an accountant in the Ministry of Agriculture; and seconded to the then Gongola Agriculture Development Programme (GADP) headquarters Yola, in July 1990.
He was later promoted to the position of Financial Accountant in the same Ministry and worked between January and March of 1991. Afterwards, he became the Zonal Accountant of Mubi Zone with the same project.
After the creation of Taraba state in 1991, Kente transferred his service to the new state and was made the Zonal Accountant for Wukari/Takum Zone of Taraba Agricultural Development Programme (TADP). In February 1992, he was transferred to Gembu as the zonal Accountant of (TADP) from 1994 to 1996.
Kente gained admission into the Nigeria College of Accountancy in Jos and passed the professional examination for membership of the Association of National Accountancy of Nigeria (ANAN).
He attended the Federal University of Technology Yola, now Modibbo Adama University, where he studied for a Masters degree in Business Administration and completed the course in 2012.
Chief Kente also served as the accountant in charge of the Computer Support Service in TADP headquarters in Jalingo. He held this position from 1994-1997. He became the Deputy Head of Finance in the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperative Headquarters in Jalingo from December 1997 to March 1998.
He was appointed as the Programme Accountant of Taraba State Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Programme (UNICEF funded project) from January to June 1998.
He later joined the National Assembly Service Commission and rose to the position of Deputy Director of Finance for Legislative Aides, Account Division’ a position which he held until 2014.
After retirement from public service he established the DSK foundation to further advance his philanthropic gesture and goodwill to improve the welfare of his people, especially the aged, less privilege and physically challenged in providing them with financial support, education, vocational training/skills acquisition, provision of shelter, primary health care and food.
With these humanitarian gestures, through the DSK Foundation, lives of many Tarabans are being impacted positively.
He sponsored the treatment of 66 people abroad for various ailments which could not be handled in Nigeria.
Built and equipped a Cottage Hospital in Kente,Taraba State.
He also sponsored the treatment of 2500 sick persons within the state hospitals.
Kente had a mobile Clinic and Ambulance for public use in the state established.
He has several foreign made motorised hospital beds to clinics in Mararaba, Didan, Nyodo, Wapan Nghaku, Gbeji, Tse Atenge, Sontyio and Sev-a, to mention a few.
DSK’s foundation has offered 1455 scholarship to students of tertiary institutions in the state between 2012 and 2013 alone, and further stepped in to pay the SSCE, NECO and NABTECH fees for 2000 less privileged secondary school students in Taraba state in 2013.
Besides sponsoring students from Donga Local Government Area to study at the mathematics centre in Abuja, the DSK foundation renovated a 3 block of class rooms in Kente town, procured and distributed science equipment to Government Secondary School, Kente.
He has also built a block of classrooms for the Islamic Nursery School, Karim Lamido, and donated text books to Federal Science Technical College, Jalingo.
The philanthropist will not just stop there, he is touching the lives of student commuters with the building of a bus-stop at Taraba State University, students park and the erection of sign board and notice board at Kwararafa University.
He has empowered 2,000 youth and 4,200 women for small scale businesses, and further trained ,54 women in skills acquisition on Fingerlings Production.
Listing all the interventions by Kente will not be possible as the projects are too numerous to mention.
Facilitating the release of 109 inmates in Jalingo and Wukari prisons in 2014 and 2016 respectively is a proof of his commitment and belief in the importance of every citizen of the state irrespective of status.
The following communities had benefited from his humanitarian benevolence.
I think it is imperative that the good people of Taraba take a critical look at Kente’s track record and antecedents as a seasoned businessman, experienced civil servant and philanthropist, and join hands with him to build an even greater Taraba.
Comrade Jagindi, publisher, public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja via [email protected]; 07065466654
