Two Years of Gov Ishaku’s Rescue Agenda: So Far, So Fruitful

Introduction:

It was two years of giant strides, of solid and enduring legacy projects and of a leadership that has inspired hope and earned the confidence of the people of Taraba State. In two years, Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku has proved that peace is achievable in Taraba, a state that was in turmoil at the time of his coming. He has also practically demonstrated during the period that the spread of development to all parts of the state is possible. His Rescue Agenda has proved very fruitful in various areas of service to the people of Taraba State.

Governor Ishaku has wiped away tears of a people he met still counting and agonising their losses through frequent communal and ethno-religious crises that had gripped the state and crippled development for several years. He came into office on May 29, 2015, waving the Olive branch and with his slogan – “Give me peace and I will give you development” – which has worked magic. He has elevated farmers through his pragmatic and highly successful agricultural policies to a stage where some of them are now counting their earning in millions.

The Green House project located in Jalingo is a rare innovation in vegetables production. It seeks to produce enough vegetables for local and international markets. He has also given the youth limitless opportunities for regular jobs and gainful self-employment windows through his administration’s skill acquisition programmes which recently produced 335 graduates. Payment of salaries has become a regular monthly routine for civil servants and all other categories of workers in the employment of the state government.

Dead and decaying infrastructure, like the biblical “dry bones”, have risen again in Taraba State, thanks to the administration’s Rescue Agenda. Under the rescue mission Ishaku is promoting, first and foremost, a positive mental attitude among the people towards their own state, to make them believe, love and stand by everything good that the state stands for.  Five out of the 25 government-owned companies that the Ishaku administration inherited in a state of comatose have regained their breath and are now operating profitably. These include the Highland Tea, Taraba Gas Ltd, Viva Feeds, Polythene and Palm Oil producing companies. Jalingo Airport, long abandoned, was also renovated and it is currently in use.

This has made direct flights into Jalingo possible. At the moment, there are three of such flights every week but Ishaku has already given the indication that this will become daily from June this year.
Road construction in major towns and villages in the state and the provision of water occupy a very strategic position in the two-year success story of the Ishaku administration. Some of these roads are federal government roads but which were neglected over the years. The state government took over their construction under an agreement that it will be reimbursed later. The jobs have been long completed but reimbursement has not happened in most of these cases. This means that Billions of the Taraba State government fund is tied down at the federal level. But the roads have considerably eased movement of people and goods in and out of the state. The construction of rural roads has also had considerable positive impact on movement of farm produce from the farm gates to the markets and other sales outlets. The direct result of this is that there are a lot more farm produce in the markets and prices are now much more pocket friendly.

Water is an area of unprecedented achievement under the Ishaku administration. The first was the sinking of 100 boreholes in 100 communities in the three Senatorial zones. Another set of 150 similar boreholes, also to be spread across the zones, are in the offing. The first phase of government water project in Jalingo, the state capital city, has been completed and most homes are now being serviced with regular water supply. The other phases are being pursued vigorously. It is the reason the capital city is today a kind of construction yard with a lot of digging and laying of water pipes going on.

There is no dull moment anywhere in the ministries and departments of government in the state. They are all being tasked to ensure that no government project fails in their hands. Governor Ishaku had, on several occasions, publicly acknowledged the fact that he was driving his officials and aides hard, sometimes too hard, but he would be quick to add that he had no apologies for doing so because “we are not in government to sleep. We were elected to deliver services and we will not compromise on our pact with the people.”
Projects highlighted in the following sectors are only but a few of the legion executed or still being executed by the administration. There are much more than can be reasonably accommodated in one single publication like this but they, no doubt, represent a resolve that is unwavering on the part of the Ishaku administration, to put the state on the path of sustainable development.

Peace and Security:
Peace is unarguably one of the most outstanding achievements of the Ishaku administration in the past two years.  Most Tarabans, particularly those who live in the state, saw and experienced the state of anarchy, strife and bloodletting in the years before Ishaku became governor and even a few months after, are in a better position to appreciate this achievement more. Governor Ishaku inherited a state that was torn apart by communal clashes and herdsmen attacks. There were also crises fuelled by political and religious sentiments. All these rendered the state ungovernable. Ishaku came in waving the Olive branch and developed his popular “Give me peace and I will give you development” slogan which worked magic. He went everywhere in the state to preach peace and to sensitize the people on the need for peace and on the damage that crisis and conflicts could do to the state if they failed to heed his appeal. These efforts were complemented by the setting up of security task force groups in all the axis of crises in the state.

Government was also very prompt and decisive in its handling of crises. Security outfits were always quickly dispatched to such areas while a high-powered government delegation is always sent there to dialogue with victims. Displaced persons are then resettled and relief materials provided by the government. This approach has always helped in each of the cases to bring succour to victims.

But herdsmen attacks have not been completely eliminated. Occasionally, Fulani herdsmen from Nigeria’s neighbours attack communities in Taraba State and Governor Ishaku has always enjoined communities in areas prone to these attacks to watch out for and send away suspicious elements. Recently, a high profile delegation of the army visited Governor Ishaku and discussed how these attacks could be minimised.

Water:
The provision of water is a priority on the Rescue Agenda of the Ishaku administration. Water is life. Good drinking water also promotes good health because 80 percent of diseases that man is exposed to are water-borne. That explains the priority which the administration has accorded the provision of water.

The need to provide Jalingo enough water is the reason the city is today a huge construction yard. There is presently massive pipe-laying project going on in the city. Three gigantic water reservoirs have been erected in different parts of the city. They are being linked with pipes that will take water directly to the door-steps of residents of the city.

There is a water revolution going on in the state. Government had earlier this year organised a town hall meeting on water reforms. This happened after Ishaku had visited Nairobi, Kenya where he saw how water was being provided and managed efficiently and profitably. He set out not only to introduce the Nairobi model of water management culture in the state but to improve on it. Sixty-Seven indigenes of the state, among them 50 newly employed professionals, are currently being trained by the Water and Sewage Corporation of Nairobi as part of government’s desire to achieve water management efficiency.

The new dispensation of water supply and management has led to a lot of innovations, among them is the introduction of automated water dispensing machine. It is the first of its kind anywhere in Nigeria. Two of the machines have been installed in Jalingo. This has not only curtailed water wastage but made water cheaper at 15 kobo per litre.

Some of the major water projects in the state include the provision of primary water supply for Jalingo which is more than 45 percent completed. Broken pipes at the Union Bank Round-About in Jalingo have been rehabilitated and this has led to the restoration of public water supply to many homes in Jalingo. In one year, government drilled 100 boreholes in 100 communities across the three senatorial zones. The plan to drill 150 more boreholes in 150 communities also spread across the senatorial zones has reached advanced stages.

In Taraba State, dry season farming is an important part of the agricultural effort of government. Government purchased three inches water pumps for dry season farming and repaired JICA drilling rigs. Water supply was also extended to the Green House project in Jalingo. Some existing but abandoned or inadequate water facilities in some parts of the state have been rehabilitated and upgraded to meet the immediate water needs of the people. One of such facilities is in Zing. In Takum, government also repaired three existing boreholes and provided them with water tanks. Donga, Wukari and virtually all the local government had their existing facilities rehabilitated and upgraded.

 Agriculture:
A policy aimed at achieving an increase in the production of food and cash crops that is both consistent and pragmatic is a veritable part of the Rescue Agenda programme of Governor Ishaku’s administration. The Agenda seeks first to achieve peace and to create an enabling environment for other economic activities, particularly agriculture to thrive. The administration’s intention is to reposition Taraba State to become one of the strongest economies in the North East region of Nigeria in a few years from now. This means the state must produce enough food to feed itself, other markets in Nigeria and in neighbouring countries. Agriculture is, therefore, a special passion of the Governor. It employs 80 percent of the populace and accounts for 65 percent of the state’s GDP. It is a major area of direct and indirect government investment and, therefore, it has many achievements to boast of.

A major achievement under this policy is the construction of Green House for all-year round commercial production of vegetables. It will also improve internally generated revenue and it currently has provided employment for about 250 persons. It is also a means of technological transfer to students of the Agriculture department of the state university. Between September 2016 and February 2017, the Green House project has generated N32.3 million.

Another remarkable achievement is the purchase of five Power Tillers and 50 units of rice threshers at a cost of 20 million Naira, including transport logistics. They were meant to help boost rice production. The administration also paid a balance of 12.5 million Naira to Nessra Faybay Air Services in respect of the 2015 Quelea birds eradication and purchased over 40 metric tonnes of improved Sesame seeds for multiplication and distribution to farmers. Government has also procured 200 metric tonnes each of improved rice, maize and soya beans seeds for the 2017 growing season. Government is executing a cassava revolution. Towards this, it has released N20 million for the procurement of improved cassava stems from IITA, Ibadan for distribution to farmers to boost production.

Other notable achievement in agriculture include the purchase and distribution to farmers several thousand metric tonnes of assorted fertilizers, millions of litres of herbicides distributed to 2,141farmers in four LG As, distribution of thousands of hectares of developed land to farm clusters for bulk production of cassava at Byepyi. Government also completed payment of its counterpart fund for Fadama III Rice Value Chain. It provided rice value chain support to 1134 farmers in Ardo Kola, Karim Lamido, Zing, Gassol, Jalingo, Takum, Gashaka and Donga LGAs. Participating farmers also received input support of assorted fertilizer, seedling, water pumps and financial assistance.

The achievement in dry season rice farming has been particularly outstanding. Governor Ishaku visited the farms in Karim Lamido several times and has spared nothing that was necessary to encourage the farmers to give their best to the farms. This year, because of the support the farmers received from the government, dry season farms yielded thrice more than the normal farms. Ishaku visited the farmers on their farms during his meet-the-people tour of Council areas and said he was excited by the yields from the farms.
 
Works and Transport:
The underlying philosophy that informed the choice of the development projects executed in this sector is the need to open up the state to investors, tourists and other visitors wishing to do business with the state. This informed the decision early in the life of the administration to renovate and revive the Jalingo Airport which was in a state of disrepair at the time Ishaku came in a governor. That project was pursued with vigour and completed in record time. Thereafter, the administration entered into an agreement with the management of Overland Airlines which now operate three direct flights into Jalingo every week. Direct flights into the airport may become daily from June.

A lot has been achieved in the effort to ease movement for visitors. There has been an aggressive road construction and reconstruction programme in the state in the past two years. Virtually every local government council area in the state has benefitted from the road construction and reconstruction programme of the government. In Jalingo, Jolly Nyame Road is one of the earliest projects of the Ishaku administration. Jalingo-Kona-Lau road that has been for long a nightmare to motorists was also tarred. Hammanruwa, a major road in the commercial area of Jalingo was expanded and tarred.

Another major road whose rehabilitation has earned Governor Ishaku accolades is Magani Road where Good Shepherd International School is located. The road attracts huge traffic, especially during school hours when parents drop and pick up their children from the school. It was like a trip to and from hell then. Today, Magani road is now a smooth drive in and out. The story is very much the same with Palace road which has been expanded and asphalted. In fact, Jalingo is undergoing a facelift through road construction and by the time the administration is done with the job, the city would have changed status. The beauty of the job being done lies more in the quality of delivery. The roads are, in most cases, being delivered complete with street lights and drainages. The Danbaba Suntai and Donga roads in Jalingo are an example of solar-powered street lights.

The Bali-Serti-Gembu road is yet another major project of the administration. Before the road was done, driving on the road was a nightmare. Now it is a one hour smooth journey. All damaged spots that were notorious for accidents and robberies on the roads in the state were also identified and repaired. All senatorial zones in the state benefited from this road rehabilitation programme that has saved lives and properties usually lost to accidents.

Before Ishaku became governor, the road from Gashaka to Gembu was cut off by erosion. Motorists spent long hours waiting at the damaged spots for on-coming vehicles before taking their turns to navigate through the narrow bush paths that served as alternative routes. This situation was promptly redressed by the governor soon as his attention was drawn to it. The Jalingo-Sunkani-Garba Chede road is another landmark achievement of the government in roads rehabilitation.

In Takum, Ishaku’s intervention has also saved the road to Katsina Ala in Benue State. Damaged portions were repaired for ease of driving. The administration has just completed the 6.5 kilometre portion of the road and will be commissioned soon by the Governor.

Job Creation and Poverty Alleviation
Government has fought a fierce battle against unemployment and poverty and won in critical areas. One of the things the Ishaku administration has done to reduce unemployment is the lifting of the embargo on employment. He followed this up by granting approval for the recruitment of 3,000 teachers for post-primary institutions. This has been hailed by labour leaders and other well-meaning indigenes of the state because it was done despite the poor financial disposition of the government. It has also shown the Ishaku administration as the most generously disposed towards the employment of people. In addition, other employment windows created by the administration have absorbed thousands of other indigenes of the state. The Green House project has already employed 250 persons. This figure will rise to 500 by the time the project is producing at full capacity.

The Ishaku administration’s skills acquisition scheme executed by the Ministry of Co-Operatives and Poverty Alleviation and supervised by the Rescue Watch, has catapulted 335 women and youths from joblessness to owners and managers of their own business within a short span of time. They were trained under the skills acquisition programme in footwear designing, hair dressing, soap making, carpentry, tailoring, weaving of native clothes like “Kyadzwe” and “Lantang”, wood craft, welding and ICT. At their graduation ceremony March 14, 2017, many products of the new skills acquired by the participants were on display. They included assorted brands of washing and bathing soaps, shoes in all forms of elegant forms elegant styles and colours, dresses in all shapes and sizes for both men and women, furniture, fishing nets and traditional attires which are very popular among the Jukun people.

In addition to the certificates they earned and the words of commendation from the Governor, participants were given start-up packs to help them set up their own business. Items given to them free included sewing machines, carving machines, hair dryers, weaving machines, computers and printers and generators. The selection process for another batch of skills acquisition beneficiaries is already in progress. The scheme is a continuous process.

A set of 50 graduates selected through a rigorous and competitive process, were also recently offered employment by the Taraba State Water Agency on the instruction of Governor Ishaku. They are among the 67 sent by the state for training in Nairobi, Kenya in various aspects of water management. They will return to the state to apply their knowledge in driving the new regime of water provision and management. At a ceremony to bid them farewell in Jalingo, Governor Ishaku said the envisaged new dispensation of water management in the state would be built on the knowledge they bring back to the state.

The greater hope of employment for the people of Taraba lies more in the new sugar factory to be established by the Dangote Group in Lau soon. The venture had been delayed for 13 years due to lack of political will by previous administrations in the state. But Ishaku has resolved all the encumbrances. The document signed in respect of the land for the project was handed over to Engineer Makoju, a representative of the Group recently in Jalingo. Not less than 1000 jobs will be created through this channel.

Women empowerment scheme also received attention through Taraba Microfinance Bank. With the support of Governor Ishaku, the bank facilitated and disbursed over a N100 million to women in the 16 Local Government Councils in the state. This gesture has provided the beneficiaries the support they need to start or refinance their business. It has reduced poverty and unemployment among them. Many tricycles were also distributed to youths in all the Local Government Areas and it has achieved the same purpose of poverty reduction.

Thirty co-operative societies which were appraised jointly by the Ministry of Co-operatives and Poverty Alleviation were offered credit facilities by the Bank of Industry.

Electrification
One of the first things Governor Ishaku did on assumption of office towards improving electricity supply to towns and communities in the state was to identify existing  broken down or low performing power generating facilities, assess their state of functionality and determine how they can be immediately put to full and effective service for the benefit of the people. That exercise paid off handsomely with many communities benefitting. A major beneficiary of this new and positive attitude of government in electricity power delivery is the tea producing Kakara community on the Mambilla Plateau area in the Sarduana Local Government Council Area.

In August last, Ishaku commissioned the Tunga Dam hydro power project which now provides uninterrupted electricity power to the Highland Tea factory in Kakara and neighbouring communities. The commissioning was a product of a political will which previous administrations in the state lacked and which almost crippled the project. Ishaku’s intervention that saved the project came at a time the European Union which provided the turbines for the project was on the verge of dismantling them and to take them to Ghana because of the delay in putting the equipment to use. Today the tea factory and communities in its neighbourhood are enjoyment uninterrupted power supply.

Many other towns and communities have benefitted from the aggressive disposition of the Ishaku administration to the provision of electricity to the people of the state. Lau is one of them. Ishaku had arranged for electricity power from Kunini to be stepped down in Lau. This has positively impacted on electricity power supply in Lau and other neighbouring communities.

The Kakulu Bible Institute in Zing Local Government Area also now has steady power supply provided by the administration of Governor Ishaku. Yakoko, another community in the area is profiting from the Kakulu project. Monkin village has a similar good tale to tell on electricity. Its long dream of regular power supply was finally fulfilled with the commissioning of an electricity project early in the life of the Ishaku administration.

In Bali, five transformers were provided and installed at the same time by the Ishaku administration while 30 electric poles were mounted to facilitate power transmission in the area. These projects have greatly eased the people’s problem of electricity. The purchase and installation of three transformers has significantly boosted electricity power supply. The story is the same for Barkin Dutse.

Health
The health sector was yet another major area of attention for the Ishaku administration. The sector was one of the worst victims of the rot that was the lot of most institutions in the state for many years. A major signpost of that rot was the School of Nursing and Midwifery in Jalingo which had stopped performing its statutory role of training nurses and midwifes for 10 years. It had lost its accreditation for failing to meet standards in strategic areas. For example, its permanent site project was abandoned. It had no ICT centre and lacked many other essential facilities. So, for 10 years, it admitted no new students and graduated no new nurses and midwifes. No governor before Ishaku did anything to correct that situation. This caused acute manpower shortage in the hospitals and clinics in the state.

This situation was unacceptable to Ishaku. He set out to work and within a short span of time, provided the missing infrastructure and qualified the institution for accreditation. The Nurses and Midwifery Council of Nigeria finally lifted its embargo on the institution. Now the school is back on its feet and has admitted new students who are now being trained in earnest. But Ishaku wasn’t ready to wait for the nurses and midwifes to graduate to fill existing vacuum in the hospitals. So he directed that nurses and midwifes who had retired from service be recalled on contract basis. This has improved healthcare delivery a great deal.

The Ishaku administration has also intervened in critical areas to improve services at the Specialist Hospital, Jalingo. The hospital had also suffered neglect in the hands of previous governments of the state. At some point it could not even render mortuary services because it had no basic facilities to do so. So it stopped accepting corpses. Some other basic but critical equipment had also broken down there. One of them is the Computerised Tomography, a hi-tech equipment which is critical to all forms of medical investigations. It broke down in 2009 and nobody before Ishaku paid attention.  This was promptly fixed after the attention of Ishaku was drawn to it.

Ishaku has also reinstated payment of running costs to all hospitals in the state which were not being paid regularly at the time he took over as governor. But the Governor is not satisfied that the Specialist Hospital, Jalingo, is the only government hospital in the state that can handle even basic surgical cases. So he decided to renovate and upgrade three General Hospitals in three senatorial zones. These are in Wukari, Gembu and Bambur. Already, the renovation of the General Hospital in Wukari which was flagged off in February is now more than 50 percent completed. The hospitals in Gembu and Bambur will take their turns after the completion of the Wukari project. it has to be so because of the poor financial inflow in the state.

During the 2016/2017 period, large quantities of drugs were procured and funds provided for disease control activities such as Lassa Fever, measles, cholera, whooping cough and cerebrospinal meningitis. Anti-snake venoms were also procured for the free treatment of snake bites in communities in Karim Lamido and Donga LGAs. Government also provided counterpart funding for tuberculosis and leprosy control and all-round polio control. It also recruited 122 nurses and midwifes and re-engaged 50 retired nurses on contract basis. It also conducted all its routine health campaign programmes during the period including the Maternal Newborn and Child Health Week flagged off by Governor Ishaku on Monday, May 22, 2017.

Education:
Education is fundamental to human development and progress. This has been the guiding philosophy for the activities in education under the administration of Governor Ishaku. This underscores the need to extend the opportunity to be educated to all children and youths in the state. Government has done a lot to make the school environment conducive for teaching and learning and continued to assist students, parents and teachers to ensure that the overall purpose of education is achieved.

It has been a period of fruitful dividends in education in the past two years. And the signs that the dividends are getting bigger and better have become even more obvious. A major signpost of the good things happening in the department is the performance of the state’s students in the West African School Certificate, WASC, examinations in 2016. The state scored 67.3, the best performance ever achieved by the state in over 25 years. This was a big contrast with the records of 2015 when the state had no WAEC result at all. The government that preceded that of Ishaku was unable to pay WAEC fees for state candidates.

Government organised series of workshops and train-the-trainer programmes during the period under review to raise the standard of instruction in schools. Lots of instructional materials were provided by the administration while round the clock supervision of teachers has put them constantly on their toes. The state’s Rescue Watch team, an innovative agency of government for monitoring government programmes and projects in the Council Areas has helped to ensure sanity in the school system. The government is currently executing many rehabilitation projects in educational institutions worth N1.7 billion. These include new classrooms, laboratories, toilets, computers and computer accessories and furniture.

Since the coming of the Ishaku administration, the monthly feeding subvention for exchange schools – Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Jalingo and Marmara Government Girls Secondary School, Wukari of nearly N20 million has been faithfully paid. Transport of exchange students with escorts to and from their schools has also been handled faithfully since then at a cost of nearly 26 Million Naira. For the registration of WAEC examination for some categories of students in the state, government paid N8.6 million while Six million naira was invested in the purchase of instructional materials. Government also bought beds and beddings for schools during the period. The government, during the period, built and commissioned an office block for the establishment of WAEC presence in the state. A 406 Peugeot wagon was also purchased for use by the office.

Rural Development
The Ishaku administration has achieved a lot in taking development to the rural areas of the state. In the area of electricity, the administration was able to ensure the connection of Kakulu to National Grid and also completed the civil works for 7.5 MVA at Donga. In Takum, a 7.5 MVA 33/11/KV was purchased and installed. Facilities for electricity supply to Gidin Dorawa were rehabilitated. In the area of rural roads, government rehabilitated the 12-kilomtre road between Mararraba Mayo to Mayo Renewo town. Also rehabilitated is another 12-kilomtre road from Yakoko to Kakulu as well as Pamanga to Dakka road. The Donga Tunare road also got rehabilitated during the period.

Environment
Government paid N20 million counterpart fund to the Nigerian Montane Forest Project Conservation, Research and Tourism Centre in Kurmi Ngel-Nyaki in Yelwa, Sarduana Local Government Area. During the period, the Taraba State Solid Mineral Development Company which had been dormant was reactivated. The ministry also applied and obtained licence for exploration for small scale mining for the Taraba State Solid Minerals Development Company. It also acquired 14 Lease EPL for developing its solid minerals. It also entered into a partnership that will eventually lead to the exploitation of solid minerals in the state. Also discovered through exploratory activities were 60 minerals, 30 of which are in commercial quantity

Information and Re-Orientation
Contract was awarded for the digitalisation of Taraba Television. This was to enable the station meet the demand of modern broadcasting. The job has reached 95 percent completion. Also awarded is the contract for the supply and installation of digital equipment for TSBS. This is to enable the station meet the demands of the digital era of broadcasting. With this equipment, the problem of frequent breakdown of equipment will be over and the station will be received loud and clear in all parts of the state and beyond.

Bureau for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs
This institution has brought a lot of efficiency into the remittances of monthly statutory allocation to local governments, Pension Board and other agencies. It also supervised the conduct of the Biometric exercise conducted for all staff of the 16 LGAs including teachers and local government pensioners. It achieved direct payment of salaries into the accounts of local government workers and minimized duplication of salaries payment. It sponsored 80 pilgrims each to Israel and Saudi Arabia and appointed two first class chiefs for Zing and Gashaka.

Women Affairs
During the period under review, the Ministry of Women Affairs and Child Development mobilized and sensitized women on the prevention of breast and cervical cancer and provided testing kits. It also provided services on a wide range of issues to vulnerable groups such as widows, orphans, IDPs and the less privileged women. It also purchased and distributed food items and clothing materials to the same group of vulnerable people. It effectively handled cases of abandoned children.

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