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Governor of Taraba state, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku has said the opposition All Progressive Congress (APC) should desist from blaming him for their ongoing electoral crisis. He stressed that he was too busy securing the lives of Taraba citizens to bother about partisan issues for now.
An APC youth group had at the weekend accused the governor of sponsoring the crisis rocking the party with a tune of three billion naira. APC had suffered serious setbacks with its congresses. The state congress ended with two chairmen emerging, claiming to have won. The youth group said the governor was destabilizing the party with huge monetary inducements.
But in a reaction, Governor Ishaku debunked the rumors, stressing that he has better things to do with Taraba state funds than pursue irrelevant political projects. Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs, Emmanuel Bello, the governor said that the economic progress of the state is top on his agenda.
He said, “it is amusing to learn that we are responsible for any crisis anywhere. As governor of this state, one of my priorities is to ensure that everyone lives in peace including even those of them who say they are in opposition. It is my responsibility to provide the enabling environment where everyone can exercise their franchise.
The last thing we want to do is interfere with any democratic process. It is not in my character. I’m not negotiating with anyone outside my party the PDP.
Our belief is that we are organized and ready for any elections. Right now, I’m investing the people’s scarce resource in worthy causes like health care, education, and agriculture. After paying bills of salary wages and providing infrastructure, where do we get those kinds of funds to fritter on needless ventures? We do not have the luxury or even money to waste on issues that don’t concern the majority of our people.
We are not meddlesome interlopers. I think people should know the roles that are playing in their own crisis rather than looking for whom to blame. You can’t perpetually be a party that blames your failures in others all the time. I just hope they are not even serious by making such ridiculous and frivolous charges. As we march into elections, the majority of our people are clear about all the issues.
They would be asking tough questions and we see it as a scorecard. I’m encouraged by what we have done so far and the response we are getting from the electorate.”
The governor, who would be three years in office by May 29th said he remains grateful for the overwhelming support he continuously enjoys from the citizens. He pointed out that his best achievement is in working hard to safeguard lives in the face of daunting challenges.
He said, “against all odds, we are doing our best because as everyone knows the herdsmen crisis actually became a national phenomenon. As governor, I can’t preside over dead people. They have to be alive first to enjoy the dividends of democracy. So we worked round the clock to ensure lives and properties are saved. Vigilance has increased and our response mechanism has improved too.
“The first duty of any Chief Executive is to safeguard lives.”
Governor Ishaku recently bagged award as best governor by the Vanguard newspaper. This was followed by another award of excellence by the Nigeria Medical Association for his achievements in the health sector.
