by admin | Jul 30, 2017 | Agriculture, Lifestyle
Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku has advocated for improved policing in the country. The Governor stated this while answering questions from newsmen in Kaduna State, on the backdrop of the recent crisis on the Mambilla plateau.
He said the number of Police personnel in the country is grossly inadequate to curtail crisis. Governor Ishaku commended the Federal Government for their swift response to the Mambilla crises urging them to maintain the spirit.
The Governor stressed that he has inaugurated two committees to sensitize farmers and cattle rearers on the Mambilla plateau and called on the people of the area to support him.
He maintained that the economic viability of the area cannot be toyed with, hence the need for synergy towards the maintenance of peace for development to thrive. Governor Ishaku emphasized that ranching remains the only option for farmers and cattle rearers to live in peace and harmony and in turn boost their revenue base.
by admin | Jul 27, 2017 | Lifestyle, Opinion
By Emmanuel Bello
Last Saturday night was memorable as both visiting editors from Lagos and some Abuja based ones had dinner with Governor Darius Ishaku. As a
Saturday Night performance, the governor put up an award winning spectacular display. Call it a razzmatazz and you would be right. But it was also serious business.
The venue was the tastily furnished official abode of the governor at upscale Asokoro, popularly called TY Danjuma House. A stickler to time, Governor Ishaku, modestly dressed in shirt and face cap ushered his guests to the dinner at about 8 pm. What started as an ordinary night of light banters, ended up as a seminar of sorts as Governor Ishaku donned his professorial cap to deliver a cerebral lecture on the state of Taraba state. He left no one in doubt as to his grasp of all issues pertaining Taraba state: its attributes, its challenges and the ways out.
The night started with mild and light hearted introductions in between meals. Some of the Editors were just meeting the governor for the first time even though their energy correspondents had covered the governor in the past when he was Minister of Power. The governor asked after one or two names he worked with back then. The cuisine was mostly light for that time of the evening with an exotic array of drinks.
The governor welcomed his guests after the self-introductions. He said the dinner was something he wanted to have with the Editors since January but was hampered by time constraints. Speaking on the need for a robust relationship with the media, he said he has always strived to ensure good working conditions for practitioners in the state. He said, “I’m sure the media would consider me their friend. I also honestly believe that the media is the last hope of the common over and above even the courts because you work to ensure social justice.” At this point, one of the Editors smiled and said, “well, even sometimes we have to come to the judges’ rescue. So yes you are right about this.”
On what he has been doing for the media in Taraba, Ishaku said, “I met a Sunrise newspaper whose sun has set (general laughter) when I became governor. I’m going to ensure the Sun rises again but for now, I want to ensure we finish the digitization of our electronic media. As I speak we now have 17 hours or so of television due to modern equipment. We have phased out close to two decades of obsolete gadgets. The same things we are doing to the radio station.”
Some of the editors have never been to Taraba state. Debo Abdullahi, Editor of Tribune said he went to Taraba in the 90’s. It was a harrowing experience he recalls especially in terms of transportation. Abdullahi also scaled the mountainous height of the Mambilla in an exhausting journey. But all that has changed, the governor told him and the other guests. Going to Taraba and climbing the Mambilla had been made easy.
How? Hear the governor: “one of the things I did was to open up the air space. The airport has been lying down there with no visible or even serious aviation happening there. So we solved that by finishing the runway. I got Overland Airline to start coming. I knew Overland when I was the minister of power because it was easy to take them and go round the power facilities around Nigeria. So I spoke to them and they agree to be coming. That’s how we now have three flights per week. It’s really changed how business is been done. You know, people, investors alike can come into our cities and do business now with ease. The roads have also been improved. We have good roads from Jalingo up to the Mambilla reducing the hours spent on the road.”
On the menu was the Highland tea. The governor saw how some of the editors glanced at the product and relished it. “You seem to like it,” he said, raising one of the packs. ” I met this wonderful tea dead. So I did something. We worked hard to ensure we generated electricity at Kakara. Electricity is literally headquartered on that Mambilla. The dam there can give us close to 4000MW. I got to work. And we enliven the Kakara hydroelectricity. That’s how this tea industry revived. Now, Highland tea is back. Jobs have been restored too.
The beauty of the Mambilla is that it is so endowed. It is Nigeria’s Camp David. People even live longer because of the climatic conditions. We have the largest herd of cows in Nigeria up there and they are ranched. Yes. Ranching is already happening there even before our law on the same issue.”
The editors all said they would love to visit the Mambilla and they got the governor’s promise that he would soon take them there.
by admin | Jul 17, 2017 | Latest News, Lifestyle
Taraba state Deputy Governor, Engr. Haruna Manu has charged the 17 members steering committees and the 5 sub committees members of the burial of the former Governor of the state, late Danbaba Danfulani Suntai to exhibit high sense of commitment in ensuring that the former Governor gets a befitting state burial.
The
Late Pharm. D.D Suntai- Former Executive Governor of Taraba State
Deputy Governor Engr. Haruna Manu said this while inaugurating the steering committee and the sub committees in the Exco Chamber Government House Jalingo, saying that the state Governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku places high premium in ensuring that the former Governor gets a befitting burial and that he has high opinion on the calibre of persons that have been selected to accord the former Governor his last honour.
Engr. Haruna Manu told the committee members that they should be conscious of the fact that the burial ceremony will attract dignitaries from both the state and other parts of the country and challenged them to be discreet in making sure that all activities are carefully planned and executed with absolute perfection.
He maintained that the state government is determined to honour the former Governor by making sure that all burial rites are followed rightly and equally called for proper documentation of each activity for future reference and call on the various committees to do their best to honour Taraba’s fallen hero who sacrificed enormously in transforming the state and asserted that all activities linedup should not be compromised.
Responding on behalf of the both steering committee and sub committees, the state chairman of Taraba State Independent Electoral Commission TSIEC, Dr. Philip Danladi Duwe who is also the chairman field sub committee appreciated the state Government for identifying and selecting them to serve in various committees.
Dr. Philip Duwe assured the Deputy Governor that, they will be firmed and resolute in carrying out the solemn responsibility, stressing that, they will put in their best so that they don’t betray the confidence reposed on them by the state Government, particularly that, the burial will be attended by people from all works of life.
The committees inaugurated by the Deputy Governor, Engr. Haruna Manu included the seventeen man steering committee which is under the chairmanship of the state Deputy Governor Engr Haruna Manu.
While the other five sub committees which included the publicity sub committee is to headed by Alhaji Aminu Jika Bobboji, the Security sub committee is to be chaired by Special Adviser on Security matters, Col. Wunuken Agyo and Abba Bashir Marafa, Chairman Tourism is to head the accommodation/feeding committee.
Others are, the field sub committee and will be chaired by Dr. Philip Duwe and Dr. Jesse Atesutma takes charged of transport sub committee.
by admin | Jul 11, 2017 | Latest News, Lifestyle
Newly constructed PINE Office
Taraba State Governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku today inspected an office accommondation which will be donated to the Presidential Committee on North East Initiative, which will serve as Taraba office.
Conducting the Governor round the already completed office which is located along Jolly Nyame Way, the outside of the office complex properly landscaped, sprayed with laterites and embellished with f!owers.
While the main building has three offices, and a conference hall all fully air-conditioned as well as other facilities that will provide comfort for those that will use the office.
Speaking to Government House Press Crew in an interview, the Secretary to the Taraba State Government, Anthony Andrew Jellason said one of the requirements of the Presidential Committee on North East Initiative is to provide them with befitting office accommondation in all the States that make up the North East.
Anthony Jellason maintained that the office will serve as a Coordinating Unit for the Committee so that it can effectively reach out to people and places affected by crisis or insurgency with a view to generating accurate data for immediate response as well provide the needed assistance to people affected by unfortunate situation.
The SSG stated that the office will be handed over to the Coordinator of the State, Col. Agbu Kefas Retired, saying that the office is going to be of great significance to the Committee interms of assembling and the distribution of relief materials and stressed that, any form of assistance that is meant for the State from the Presidential Committee would be routed through the State office.
It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari inaugurated Presidential Committee on North East Initiative sometimes in October, 2016, with the mandate to assist in restoring normalcy and stability to the North Eastern part of our Country.
The President pointed out that the devastation to human lives and livelihood by the insurgency in the North East was severe, with more than an estimated 20,000 people killed, an estimated 2.4 million persons displaced and billions of naira worth of personal and public assets destroyed.
Muhammadu Buhari posited that there were lots of humanitarian intervention efforts, both national and international, that have worked over time to assist in coping with the task of bringing succour to the IDPs in and outside the region.
He added that, most of the efforts were aimed at providing short-term emergency assistance and relief to the victims of the violence and displaced, but he said, there remains a need for better coordination of these efforts particularly the humanitarian resettlement and reconstruction of the region.
The Governor was conducted round the office building by the Secretary to the State Government Anthony Andrew Jellason and the contractor of the project, Christopher Shiaki.
by admin | Jul 11, 2017 | Latest News, Lifestyle
No fewer than 89 convicted inmates serving various jail terms across prisons in Taraba State yesterday regain their freedom through the benevolence of Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku.
Gov Ishaku had earlier promise to paid fines and compensations for 89 convicted inmates who have demonstrated good sense of industry and character while serving their jail terms as part of efforts to decongest the prisons.
Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Barr. Yusuf Akirikwen while conveying the Governor’s message to the freed inmates charged them not to go back to their old life again.
He announced the Governor’s donation of N10,000 each for the freed inmates as a little grant that would enable them either go into farming or trading to engage themselves positively.
Akirikwen berated Police prosecutors for unjustly delaying prosecution of cases which ordinarily should have been dealt with thereby crowding the prisons unnecessarily.
Earlier, the State Comptroller of Prisons Taraba Command, Mr. Mustapha Atta who was filled with joy commended the Governor for being passionate and sensitive to the plight of inmates in the State and for his support to the prisons.
He commended the Governor for the inclusion of prisons’ inmates to benefit from the “Touching one million lives” programme of the State Government.
by admin | Jun 29, 2017 | Governor's Remarks, Latest News, Lifestyle, Politics
Taraba
state Governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku says he received with great shock the passing on of the immediate past Governor of Taraba state, Pharmacist Danbaba Danfulani Suntai.
In a Press Release signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Hassan Mijinyawa, Governor Ishaku commiserated with the good people of Taraba state, particularly, the Suntai’s family over the great loss.
The Press Statement said Former Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai died in Orlando Florida, United States of America where he was recuperating after the plane he was piloting crashed on 25 October, 2012 in Yola Adamawa state.
Governor Darius Ishaku described late Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai as a gift and asset who contributed immensely to the growth and development of the state and devoted his time to significantly transform Taraba State from a rural status to the modern day Taraba and created the framework that made it possible for us to continue to provide the best for our people.
Accordingly, the Governor said his candour and decisiveness are still fresh in the minds of most Tarabans, particularly, the unalloyed love he exhibited to the people of the state in all facets of endeavours and making Taraba great was his vision and mission.
Governor Darius Ishaku prayed God to grant the people of Taraba state and the family of late Danbaba Danfulani Suntai the strength to accept his demise in good faith.
