ON May 29, 2023, most states in Nigeria will witness the exchange of power baton from one administration to another and Taraba State is one of the states to witness such a historic event. The 68-year-old Darius Dickson Ishaku who is completing his second tenure of eight years under the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) will hand over to the 53-year-old Lt. Col. Agbu Kefas PhD (rtd) to continue with the PDP’s reign since 1999. Governor Darius Ishaku’s mixed bag of achievements and knocks will end on Monday, May 29, but his signatures projects like the 32-kilometer NYSC camp from Wukari to Pantinapu -the Yola end of the road with a flyover bridge and pedestrian bridges will remain remarkable. The DDI garden estate, DDI water revolution, some key roads infrastructure and improvement in the health sector will not forgotten in a hurry.
The Wukari-Tsokundi road, the ongoing construction of Mararaba –Baissa-Abong road, Lacheke-Pantisawa road, Jalingo –Kona dual carriage road and Magami internal roads in Jalingo metropolis will surely be counted in Governor Darius Ishaku’s name. Governor Ishaku’s eight years of stewardship also saw improvement in the Taraba State University, especially in the area of manpower from barely five Professors in 2015 to nearly a hundred in 2023. Agriculture also received a boost under the administration, making Taraba one of the highest rice producing states in the country. Like the outgoing Governor Ishaku, Kefas is also coming into the Government House with a high a profile and vast experience as a retired Army officer. A holder of a B.Sc. degree in Political Science and Defense Studies from Nigeria Defense Academy, Kaduna, Kefas also holds an M. Sc. Degree in Legal Criminology and Security Psychology from the University of Ibadan and another Master’s degree in Public Administration (MPA) from Delta State University.
An alumnus of Harvard Kennedy School USA and Oxford University England, Kefas recently bagged a PhD in Security and Strategic Studies from Nasarawa State University aside his vast experience in military intelligence, conflict resolution and human capital development. With a vision to open up Taraba to the world and build a State where every Taraban will be proud to call home; Kefas had during the campaign promised to entrenched good governance anchored on transparency, accountability, equity, social justice, peaceful co-existence and respect for the rule of law, while efforts would be geared towards wooing local and foreign investors to boost the state’s potential in tourism, mineral, and agricultural sub-sectors of the economy among others. Kefas believes when this is done, it will unlock the economic potential of Taraba state and engage the people with economic activities, thereby, creating jobs, reducing poverty, hunger and over dependence on government jobs as well as reduction in youth restiveness and social vices for accelerated growth and development of the State.
According to his blueprint document tagged ‘Moving Forward’ Kefas said, “Already, a foundation has been laid by successive governments and we will build on that foundation that has been laid and reposition our dear state on the path of sustainable growth and development. “What an average Taraban wants today is the freedom to do business without fear, walk freely without harassment and enjoy the profits of their hard work. But it is sad that we still have people in our dear state who can’t feed well due to circumstances beyond their control. We shall tackle this challenge and provide an atmosphere where people irrespective of their background and social standing will be able to solve their basic needs. The world today is ruled by ideas and my coming into government is to contribute my quota to the growth and development of Taraba state, using great ideas that will put Taraba first among the comity of States in Nigeria and beyond. God has prepared me for this task. My experience and exposure in the military and the civil space have equipped me with the requisite knowledge and capacity to serve the people of Taraba at this time and create a much better atmosphere for economic prosperity for all. I shall tackle insecurity, promote harmonious coexistence and better the living standard of all Taraba citizens.”
Taraba State is endowed with enormous resources that can easily be converted to wealth. But insecurity has slowed down the good intentions of the State past leaders explore these resources. However, with the coming of Kefas as a security expert of international repute, the people of Taraba State expect the incoming administration to unite the people, alter the negative trends and reposition the state on the path of prosperity. Many residents interviewed said they expect the incoming administration to prioritise the security of lives and property, bring investors into the state, and provide an enabling environment for businesses to thrive, create jobs and boost export of Taraba’s agricultural produce and mineral resources for accelerated development. It is hoped that the young Kefas who is full of energy and ideas will hit the ground running from day one and make good his promise of moving Taraba State forward and making it a home where all Tarabans will be proud to indeed call home.
- Adda is the Chairman, Media and Publicity Sub-committee of the Taraba State Transition Committee.
