Taraba state Governor Arc Darius Dickson Ishaku, on Tuesday called for assistance from the federal government and other humanitarian agencies for the state to rebuild structures and replace items either damaged or stolen by hoodlums that took advantage of the #ENSARS protests in the state.
Gov Ishaku made the appeal in Jalingo after an assessment tour of the warehouses looted and structures vandalised by the hoodlums.
Gov Ishaku was out of the state when the looting and vandalisation took place in Jalingo.
More than ten warehouses where items either procured by the state government or donated to it as palliatives were invaded by hoodlums and completely stolen. One of the structures vandalized by the hoodlums is Hope Afresh building located on Kona Road in Jalingo.
Hope Afresh Foundation is a welfare programme of the Wife of the Governor, Barrister Anna Darius Ishaku initiated to train women and youths in various skills that would make them self-reliant. All equipment and facilities for skills acquisition training procured and installed by the Foundation were stolen. The Foundations office is now a shadow of itself.
Items stolen include air conditioners, computers sewing machines, generators doors and windows.
Other places vandalized are the NYSC camp, DDI Gardens, a new housing estate being constructed by the Ishaku administration, Taraba State Broadcasting Station, the Ministry of Agricultures warehouse and several others. Paliatives stolen include bags of rice, noodles, maize millet and other food items.
Speaking to reporters after the inspection tour, Gov Ishaku described the looting and destruction as a huge setback for the state and pleaded with the federal government to come to the aid of the state.
Ishaku said Taraba being a state with poor resources will find it extremely difficult to replace the stolen items and rebuild damaged structures on its own and pleaded for assistance by the federal government and other humanitarian agencies.
He expressed disappointment with the attitude of security agencies for not doing anything to stop the looters and blamed it on the fact that stage governors have no constitutional control over these agencies.
“Our Constitution is defective. It is true we copied the American Constitution but we copied it wrongly.It is wrong not to allow state governments have control over security agencies in their states, especially the police” he said.
