Gov Ishaku’s score cards and imperatives for second tenure

All is now set for the inauguration of Governor Darius Ishaku for the second term today. Investigation reveals that the journey towards his re-election was a history of success. ELEOJO IDACHABA writes.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state would be inaugurated for the second tenure today. His re-election did not come as a surprise as investigation shows that he worked for it.

This historic event is coming as the crowning glory for his efforts in repositioning the state during his first tenure as governor of the state.

The 2019 election was mainly a contest between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) represented by Ishaku and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Sani Danladi.

That victory is seen as a fitting reward for hard work, honesty and patriotic leadership which he had offered during his first tenure. His first tenure, which gave a positive direction, has wiped tears off the faces of the long-suffering Tarabans, gave youths the hope for a better future and re-assured all about the opportunity to live peaceful and prosperous lives.

The narratives have changed

According to Mr Bala Dan Abu, the senior special assistant on media and publicity to the governor, “Before now, not many people knew the position of the state on the map of Nigeria as it was hardly known except during perennial communal crises.

 “The coming of Arc Ishaku as governor, however, has changed that toga of obscurity. Today, Taraba is a traveller’s delight, a tourism and investments destination of choice. Many people now want to visit the state for leisure and business, taking advantage of the regular daily direct flights to Jalingo introduced by Ishaku administration. Taraba is now a trail-blazer in several areas of modern development some of which have served and are still serving, as positive advertisement for the state locally and internationally. Governor Ishaku has, in his first tenure, succeeded tremendously in rescuing the state from the jaws of infrastructural decadence and placed it on the path of sustainable development.”

One of such areas, according to Blueprint investigation is education. In 2015 when Ishaku took over the mantle of leadership as governor, schools were in shambles, students performances in the West African School Certificate (WASC) wavered around the ridiculous figure of 20 and 30 percent. This was a concern for Governor Ishaku as parents take their children to schools outside the state to receive better education. He then invested in the provision of instructional materials, rehabilitated most of the school buildings to make the schools learning-friendly, employed thousands of teachers who were trained through several refresher programmes to become more efficient in the art of teaching. Soon after, these investments in education began to manifest in huge gains harvested through impressive jumps in WAEC performances by students in the state.

A giant leap in education

In 2017, the state’s WAEC score jumped to 75.3 percent, earning the state an enviable position in education as it took the number one position in the entire Northern states and 8th in the country. In 2018, the state again retained the same position.  Today, schools in the state are centres of academic excellence and those parents who took their children and wards out of the state in the past have brought them back. Another major area of remarkable progress is the state university where government invested heavily in the recruitment of professors and other academic staff to raise the standard of teaching. Many new faculties were also added in order to widen the choices available to students from the state and eventually meet the manpower needs of the state in critical areas.

The provision of clean water is yet another area of radical change in his first tenure. According to Mr Abu, “The situation he found on assumption of office in 2015 was very embarrassing. It was a classic case of a people living by the riverside but lacking water to drink. Ishaku tasked himself and officials of the state water agency to turn the situation by re-activating broken down water facilities. This improved water supply in Jalingo and other major towns in the state. Thereafter, the administration embarked on major water projects to extend water to more people. The Jalingo Primary Water Source is a perfect example of such major interventions.

 Speaking further, he said, “Perhaps, the more radical intervention was the government’s water programme in rural areas which provided 300 boreholes in 300 communities lacking good drinking water. The boreholes have earned Governor Ishaku accolades from international donor agencies with a promise to do more.”

The administration’s approach to the problem of water goes beyond producing enough water for the people. Blueprint gathered that the government is also bothered about efficient management of the water. This was the reason 67 staff members of the agency were sent for training in Kenya in 2017. Furthermore, the state government, it was learnt also installed water ATMs in strategic locations in Jalingo to ensure that water produced is available at minimal costs. 

A man of the people

During his first tenure, Governor Ishaku proved a great friend of the young people in the state. They were the beneficiaries of the skill acquisition programmes of his administration and Hope Afresh Foundation, a pet project of his wife, no wonder, most of the people who re-and championed his campaign were the youths. They ensured that electoral frauds were minimised.

He said, “Many of them were trained in various skills and provided with free starter packs with which they established their personal businesses and are now self-reliant.

“They were also the major beneficiaries of all the employment opportunities created by the government. These include the Rescue Teachers Scheme under which 3,000 young men and women were employed by the state government in one fell swoop in 2017. They also filled most of the vacancies created with the establishment of Green House, one of the most celebrated agricultural projects in Taraba and Nigeria at large.”

On employment opportunities, the revival of seven out of the 26 dead public companies inherited also provided opportunities. The Highland Tea Company in Gembu alone, for instance, provided 5,000 direct and indirect job opportunities and has revived tea farming. The provision of uninterrupted power supply to the factory through the commissioning of a hydro-electricity power plant has turned Kakara, the tea production community, into a big village of artisans. The story is the same for other revived companies like Taraba Gas, Taraba Feed Mills, Tarabal Oil which are all providing employment and business opportunities for the people of the state.

Other areas

It is also on record that the administration has also changed the face of healthcare delivery. Three general hospitals in the three senatorial zones have been renovated and equipped with state-of-the art equipment. The one in Wukari, has already been commissioned while the two others in the north and central senatorial districts are awaiting commissioning. These are healthcare centres in many towns and villages.

The state College of Nursing and Midwifery, which was closed down for 10 years, was re-opened and has started graduating students. It was learnt that retired nurses on contract appointments to bridge the manpower gap were also engaged.

“Several medical intervention programmes were executed by the administration with the support of global health agencies which have succeeded tremendously in elevating healthcare delivery in the state. The most outstanding cases were the fight against hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, infant mortality and deaths through child birth. Governor Ishaku’s achievements in taking medical care to the grassroots were acknowledged and rewarded by the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) with an Award of Excellence. In the past four years, he ran an administration with a human face as the people were at the centre of his policies with prompt salary payment. Pensioners also had a good deal. Payment of gratuities was also started and has progressed gradually to the happiness of retired civil servants. This positive disposition to the plight of workers caught the attention of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Nigerian Union of Local Government Employees, (NULGE) who jointly honoured him with an appreciation award,” he said.

Infrastructural development also received the attention of the government, for example, intra-city and inter-city as well as rural communities received the attention of the administration. Electricity was boosted in many communities through the purchase and installation of many transformers. This achievement earned him an award from Yola Electricity Distribution Company as the governor that generated more power than any governor in the country.

However, the major problem faced by the administration was communal crises involving herdsmen/farmers and militia attacks which have created a monumental problem of Internally Displaced Persons for the government. The crisis not only slow down the pace of government plans and projections for developing the state, but also limited the contributions expected of the people.

“On a general note, Tarabans are generally happy about the re-election of Governor Ishaku for another term. The state had erupted in a wild flame of jubilation soon after the declaration of his election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the April 9, 2019 elections. Their expectation is that the governor would do more for them in the new dispensation,” he concluded.

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