by admin | Mar 23, 2018 | Education, General, Latest News
Governor Ishaku Assures Tarabans of Job Creation
The Taraba State Governor, Darius Ishaku, has assured the people of Taraba, particularly the youths of his administration’s will to continue to explore possible ways of creating job opportunities including more skills acquisition programmes to cut over dependence on government.
He gave this assurance in Jalingo Thursday, during the graduation ceremony of the first batch of graduands under the Post Secondary School Youth Graduands Empowerment Programme at the Peter Akinola Youth Centre for Industrial Training Abeokuta.
A set of 51 trainees received training in Information Communication Technology, Fashion and Design, Electricals, Catering and Tourism,Tilling and Concreting as well as Metal Fabrication.
While delivering his speech during the occasion, Gov Ishaku stated that “The Taraba State Government expended the sum of N265,000 on each trainee, which covered the cost of feeding, accommodation and hospital bills among others for the eight months duration of the training programme”.
According to the Governor, one of his campaign promises was “to embark on an aggressive and deliberate measure to cut the rate of unemployment among our teeming youths”.
“While most of the graduates whom we are celebrating today have engaged themselves in productive ventures in the State, others have even employed others or are training other youths”, he disclosed.
Also, during the occasion, special recognition was given to 168 state sponsored trainees from the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria- an institution which he founded as Minister of State for Power.
According to the Governor, he established the school taking cognizance of the fact that he would become a governor of the state that harbours the “largest hydro electricity project in Africa”.
As one who designed the project, Gov. Ishaku stated that the graduands would form the staffing requirements that would run the proposed Ministry of Power in the State. He therefore, directed the graduands to pick employment forms preparatory to their absorption into the civil service.
Earlier on in his speech, the State Commissioner of Education, Johannes Jigem, was optimistic that the beneficiaries would create 10 Jobs each in the next two to three years.
“This simply means that by 2020, our amiable Governor will have returned for the next phase of rescue mission agenda, and about 510 youth would have been taken off the streets and be gainfully employed by this single gesture”, he stated.
He warned the beneficiaries not to sell the packs and show gratitude to the government and the good people of Taraba by creating at least ten Jobs in the next three years.
by admin | Feb 14, 2018 | Latest News
Taraba Government Graduates 448, Inaugurates Over 600 Trainees in Skills Acquisition
The Taraba State Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation has graduated 448 trainees which constitute the 2nd Batch of the Women and Youth Empowerment Program,while 600 trainees were inaugurated for the third batch.
The occasion which was held at the Jolly Nyame Stadium Gym Hall, also witness the issuance of starter packs to trainees and issuance of cheques to 15 cooperative societies by Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku.
In his address, the State Commissioner for Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Abba Akawu Zagga flagged off the inauguration of 3rd batch and graduation of 2nd batch trainees. He stated that last year, 335 trainees were graduated in different trades in the Skills Acquisition Training and Economic Empowerment for youths in the 16 local government areas and Yangtu Development Area in nine trades and that most of the beneficiaries in the first batch are now performing creditably well and have also become employers of labour. Zagga added that 448 youths would be graduated in 16 different trades and over 600 inaugurated for the 3rd batch of the program in 16 trades.
Speaking further, the Commissioner disclosed that, the governor has approved the monthly allowance of N10,000 plus N20 million training cost for running of the program for three months, N8 million as cost of training materials as well as N80million for starter packs and other supporting items to the 448 beneficiaries of the second batch.
Meanwhile, a statistics of the trades along with graduating trainees include: Solar energy- 35 , Fashion design- 119, Tiling-7, Welding-31, Carpentry-14, Electricals-9, Plumbing-7, POP-11, GSM repairs-11, Make-up-10, Computer-74, Shoe design-35, Aluminium construction-20, Hair dressing-60, Weaving-4, Wood carving-1.
A couple of the trainees came out to tell their success stories to the admiration of the audience.
In his remarks, Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku, thanked those ‘ingenious’ youths for their contributions. He urged those that have participated and those interested to get ready and get registered for the 4th batch. He however warned those in the habit of selling their starter packs to desist as that would ‘land them in trouble’ saying the essence of the program was to improve the trainees so that they would improve others.
by admin | Sep 10, 2017 | Interesting Articles
Man making statements during one of the Rescue Town Hall Meetings
The Taraba State Governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku has a Special Programme called Rescue Watch; an arm of his Rescue Agenda. The Rescue Watch is headed by the Governor, with the Chief of Staff, Hon. Rebo Usman, at the helm of affairs, assisted by the Special Adviser on Manifesto Implementation, Hon. Sadiq Nuhu and Special Adviser on Revenue Matters, Hon. Taninga Binga.
Every local government has a Rescue team, made up of a Special Adviser on grass root matters, Senior Special Assistants, Special Assistants and Ward contact persons. These people are mandated to visit a ward each time they go out. For each outing, they hold town hall meetings, visit various infrastructure and ongoing projects, and generally interface with the people on behalf of the Governor.
Apart from the numerous achievements of the Rescue Watch, the Taraba people at the grassroots also enjoy the following benefits and look forward to the Rescue Watch every month.
1. Talking directly to the Governor: Taraba people at the grassroots normally talk directly to the Governor through video recordings done during every outing. As soon as the videos are brought back, the clips are watched by the Rescue Team secretariat where important issues that keep recurring are repackaged and presented to the Governor as they are. The Governor watches these videos after every Rescue Watch outing. For example, most people while talking will express how they feel about his Rescue Mission, how it has helped them, give suggestions and make requests.
2. Sell Important Ideas: They have the opportunity to sell important ideas to the Governor through videos. 5 people are selected from each polling unit, making up between 50 to 100 people per town hall meeting. These people cut across age group, political affiliation, tribes, religion, and occupation. Because of the variety of backgrounds people are coming from, ideas that the Governor’s Advisers could have missed will be known.
3. Being Captured in Official Decision Making: Taraba people at the grassroots have the opportunity to be considered and captured in decisions that the Governor finally makes since most decisions will be made with the plight of the grassroots in mind. For example, in the last outing in July, the Rescue Team from Lau identified the high prevalence of Hepatitis infection.
Rescue Team rendering help
After the Commissioner of health gave the Governor and the Rescue Team a breakdown of the negative effects of the disease, the Governor decided there and then that there should be massive awareness campaign on the dangers of the disease, since a thorough treatment requires a huge amount per person.
4. Feel closer to the Government: Most Tarabans at the grassroots reveal that the fact the Governor sends his top appointees to visit them regularly and capture the visits on videos that he watches proves that he has their interest at heart. This alone makes them feel closer to the government and gives them a sense of belonging.
5. Personalized care: Thousands of people who do not have any connections to top people in government have personally benefited from the Governor directly in very odd ways, ranging from condolence visits, medical and surgical bills payment, one and one advice, repairs, provision of farm inputs and skills acquisition training among others. This is because the Rescue Team is mandated to give out resources to ordinary people they meet as they go about performing their duty.
6. Honest Confessions: The Rescue Watch has made Taraba people at the grassroots to make revealing honest confessions that has helped the Governor to know how he is being perceived and how his policies and programs are being received. For example, a man confessed that they were asked not to vote the Governor during the election, yet, it was this same Governor God used to save his life by sending his team to pay for an anti-snake venom when he was bitten by a snake. Now he is sold and would vote for him in 2019.
7. Experience of true love: Since the Governor wants a ward each to be visited in each local government during each outing, the Rescue Team has no choice but to visit wards located in remote areas that are not motorable. Some teams travel by motor cycles for as much as five hours, in the name and authority of the Governor to visit people who have never been visited by top government officials, irrespective of religion or tribe. The beneficiaries themselves confessed to this and understands it as being nothing but true love.
What can you say about the Rescue Watch and the Grassroots? Feel free to share your thoughts, suggestions and encourage the governor.
by admin | Aug 16, 2017 | Interesting Articles, Rescue Mission, Rescue Watch
Rescue Watch
You may have heard about the Rescue Watch Program of the Governor of Taraba state but may not know much about it; its structure, functions, achievements and how it works. Read on to discover why it is an administrative genius and how every Taraban who believes in the Rescue dream can contribute to its long term success.
- Structure: Every successful management system follows the pyramid structure. The Chief Executive at the top and the majority at the bottom. https://tarabastate.gov.ng/organogram/. The Rescue Watch has the Governor at the helm of affairs, followed by the Chief of Staff, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Ward Contact Persons. This setup, also called Rescue Team, works closely with all the existing organs of government.
2, Coverage: Every part of Taraba State is adequately represented in the Rescue Watch down to the ward level. That is 168 wards from the 16 Local Government Areas and two Special Development Areas.
3. Top Down Control: From the structure created in 1 and 2 above, issues, resources, communication and other matters can easily be passed from the Governor to every ward quickly and effectively.
4. Down Up System: The Rescue Watch also makes it very easy for the average person in every ward to talk directly to the Governor. Every month, when the Rescue Team visits any particular ward, they interact with the people and capture the interactions on video in town hall meetings.
These interactions are watched by the Governor himself. He gets a chance to see what the ordinary man on the street and villages are saying.
5. Campaign Promises are Getting Fulfilled: Most Nigerians at the grassroots see Politicians only when they want their votes, once every four years. After that, they never see them again. The Rescue Watch program brings the Governor’s presence close to the people every time the Rescue teams go out for the watch. The people themselves testify that this approach has defied the things as they are. Meaning, when the time for next election comes, the governor’s campaign team will no longer be unfamiliar.
6. Lives are massively affected: Through the Rescue Watch, hospital bills of Patients in various hospitals in wards across the state have been paid, snake bite victims have been saved, disputes have been settled, minor repairs of various structures have been made, school fees of students have been paid, and bereaved families have been comforted.
Guess what? Babies have been named after the Governor whose Rescue Program saved them during delivery.
335 People pulled from 168 wards now earn between N15,000 to N100,000 every month because of the empowerment aspect of the Rescue Watch. All 335 people were trained on various skills and empowered with all the tools, materials and resources they needed to start their own businesses, most of whom are now employers of labor.
7. Full Awareness of the Problems of Taraba: Through the Rescue Watch program, Taraba Governor has the real feel of the problems of every part of the State at his fingertips. By taking his time to watch hours of video concerning the activities of the teams in every ward, he knows better than all the organs of government in the state. This helps in taking smart decisions for the benefit of all.
8. Speed in Infrastructural Developments: The Governor has commissioned projects and put government presence in remote areas where most people don’t know about. Talk of renovating hospitals, constructing new roads, culverts, drainages and acquiring farmlands for large-scale agriculture. Most of these interventions would not have been possible with the normal system of government either due to their remoteness or cost implication.
What matters most to the governor is the speed and sensitivity of the issues at hand.
9. All hands on Deck: The Governor has been criticized for having too many appointees on its payroll if only his critics know how he uses them. Through the Rescue Watch, all these appointees have more than enough work on their hands. While the Rescue Team goes to each Local Government and Ward to interface with the people, solve their problems and gather data; all the Commissioners, along with the EXCO and the Rescue Team, on the other hand, sit together at the end of every outing to rub minds concerning the issues.
With this platform, every Ministry gets handed their responsibilities where they either raise a memo, some of which gets passed to the House of Assembly or solves the problems themselves, depending on the existing machinery and infrastructure of the Ministry.
10. Rescue Watch Arrangement Accommodates All: Do you want to know the exact number of schools, teachers, hospitals, boreholes, police stations, revenue outlets, roads or even network coverage in the state? The Rescue Watch program is there again to accommodate it.
Within days, any data can comfortably be compiled. For example, there have been serious problems of everyone not getting their salaries, especially those at the local government areas due to ghost workers. The Governor tried using the existing structure of government and all kinds of solutions to no avail. As soon as the Rescue Watch team was deployed, voilà, everyone is suddenly quiet. Mission accomplished.
Conclusion: The Rescue Watch teams work closely with the ICT office of Government House to facilitate the Rescue Watch. This has enabled the ICT office to understand the inner workings of the Rescue Watch, bringing about this article.
You can contribute your ideas to this genius project by simply letting the Governor or the Chief of Staff of Government House, the efficient Rescue Watch leader know. Alternatively, get in touch with the Special Advisers or Senior Special Assistants of your local government. Your idea will fly.
by admin | Mar 15, 2017 | General, Latest News, Rescue Watch
Taraba State Governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku has challenged women and Youths in the State to be innovative and creative in the new skills they have acquired.
Governor Darius Ishaku stated this yesterday at the Jolly Nyame Stadium, Jalingo during the passing out ceremony of the first Batch of the Skills Acquisition Graduands which focuses on Women and Youths Empowerment, a brainchild of the Rescue Agenda of his administration tagged, “the Rescue Watch.”
Darius Ishaku maintained that not all will have the opportunity to be employed by the State Civil Service, hence the need to proactively engage women and Youths into viable ventures that will reposition the State and to make Taraba State a force to reckon with in the country in terms of export of locally made goods and to be self-reliant.
The Governor stated that the enthusiasm shown by the graduands during the period of their training had spurred him to as a matter of urgency kick start the processes of the Second Batch, explaining that, he will immediately instruct the Chief of Staff, who is the Coordinator of the programme on what to do.
He maintained that his vision of a greater tomorrow is gradually unfolding and that with the dexterity on the part of the graduands, Taraba women and Youths are determined to take Taraba State to the promise land.
Governor Darius Ishaku emphasised that the vision of the Rescue Watch, which is geared at engaging the various Communities in the State positively by knowing what they desire most and coming up with programmes that will improve their livelihood is gradually giving Government an insight to what the people of the State desires most.
Speaking further, the Governor said when he brought in more people on board as Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants, he was heavily criticised, however, today that action is giving three hundred and thirty-five women and Youths a means of sustenance and survival and which will eventually translate into training more people across the State to be self employed.
Governor Darius Ishaku however warned those that would want to sell off the equipment that have been procured for the start up their new businesses to desist as the implementers of the Rescue Watch programme will keep a close watch on them and will continually give him progress reports with a view to attracting government support and patronage, adding that, he is confident that, Taraba will be a force to be reckoned with in terms vibrant and upcoming entrepreneurs in the country.
In his speech, the Chief of Staff Government House, Hon. Rebo Usman asserted that the Mission of the present administration in meeting the needs and yearnings of the people of the State is no longer business as usual as it was the case in the past, pointing out that all Government programmes are closely being monitored by the Rescue Watch team with a view to reporting objectively to the Governor at all times.
Rebo Usman explained that to ensure its success, Special Advisers, Senior Special Assistants and Special Assistants are grouped into their various Local Government of origin with a view to keeping closer watch 
on activities of Government at different levels and to also ensure adequate supervision and monitoring and to report back to the Governor monthly via an interactive session with a view to identifying each area and its peculiar needs.
To ensure its workability, the Chief of Staff disclosed that, all the one hundred and sixty-eight wards of the State has a contact person who informs the Rescue Watch team leader on happenings in each ward on a daily basis with a view to stimulating immediate Government response.
He further mentioned that the 335 graduands are the product of the Rescue Mission of his Excellency, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku through the instrumentality of the Rescue Watch team, asserting that the exercise right from concept to its implementation was a process of meticulous planning.
The Chief of Staff pointed out that, the training programme was carefully outlined and today it is a huge success with every society having equal representation of two persons from each ward and stated that their trainers were also carefully selected and with a directive that, they will be operating within the stated objectives of the Rescue Mission and each participant was paid ten thousand naira monthly as an upkeep allowance to facilitate their movement daily.
Rebo Usman maintained that the project was capital intensive, but however said, some beneficiaries have been grouped, and they will take off as partners in business, particularly, in the fields of welding, wood carving and computer, adding, that, those that require constant use of electricity, generators have been procured for them so that they will take off without any form of hindrance.
Earlier, the Commissioner of Cooperative and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Abba Akawu disclosed that the 335 persons selected from the 168 wards of the State had been trained for the period of three months and they were closely monitored and supervised by his Ministry, the Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.
Abba Akawu maintained that, through the Rescue Mission today, the 335 graduands will be able to stand on their own and as well create job and wealth for the State and challenged them to be good ambassadors of the Rescue Mission of Governor Darius Ishaku.
He further disclosed that the memorandum of understanding MoU was also signed with Bank of Industry all to better the lives of Tarabans and make them productive members of the society, adding that, about one hundred and thirty-five people will benefit from the MoU in the State.
The high point of the event was the presentation of working tools to the graduands by Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku assisted by the State Deputy Governor, the Kpanti Zing, Chief of Mutum – Biyu and the Galadima Muri.
It was earlier preceded with an inspection of facilities which were either constructed, fabricated or produced by the graduands.
The ten skills acquired by the graduands included Hair dressing, tailoring, shoe making, carpentry, wood carving, computer training, soap making, net-weaving, welding and traditional dress weaving of Adire and Lantang.
