Saturday 2 July 2016
Gov. Ishaku Focuses On People Oriented Projects, Improves State Economy
Taraba State Governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku has assured people of the state that he will continue to keep the flag flying in the execution of people oriented projects affirming that he will strife to carry all along.
Governor Darius Ishaku said this recently in Government House Jalingo when he hosted officials of both Muslim and Christian Associations to a breaking of fast, hence the need to pray fervently within this period for a lasting and enduring peace in the state.
Gov. Darius Ishaku maintained that the reason why he invited the leadership of the two faiths is to further encourage them on the need for peaceful coexistence among the various ethnic groups that belongs to either of the faith, saying that, the reason why the people are seated peacefully is because there is peace in the state and beckoned on the leaders of the two religions to inculcate sound moral values that would engender mutual respect and harmonious interactions.
He however expressed optimism that, with the gradual peace returning to the state it would usher in more development even at a more faster pace and reiterated that he intends to proactively transform the Mambila Beverages Production Company to produce about ten percent tea requirement of the country.
The Governor also informed the gathering that modalities are being worked out for the state to maximally explore other areas such as coffee, palm oil processing and irrigation with special focus on dry season rice farming and regretted that the Taraba State cassava processing plant has not been functional for some time but, reiterated his administration’s determination to as matter of urgency liaise with our partners so that the company will resume production.
Darius Ishaku said other areas that the state government intends to holistically reorganize and re- energise some Ministries for the benefit of the state, which include education, health and the Agricultural sectors, with the aim of making them vibrant more in meeting the needs of the people of the state and quickly pointed out that, though the state is cash trap, is an opportunity to be ingenious and diversify the state revenue sources particularly in mining and agriculture.
Governor Darius Ishaku appreciated the civil servants for their patience, understanding and resilience, explaining that the present salary verification is in the best interest of the state and assured that very soon civil servants in the will have course to rejoice when the exercise is concluded.
He also used the forum to thank the Taraba State House of Assembly and the judiciary for working closely with him and according him the maximum support that has been helping him in piloting the affairs of the state.
The Governor appreciated the two Chairmen, CAN and Muslim councils for their kind words and support and equally recognising the contribution of his wife in the state and assured them that his administration will engage them positively for the overall peaceful and harmonious coexistence of the people of state.
Earlier in his speech, the Chairman of Muslim Council, Alhaji Inuwa Jauro Mafindi commended the state Governor for the successes his administration has so far recorded within the period of one year in office and urged him to continue to do more for the people of the state.
Inuwa Jauro said it was thoughtful of him as the Chief Executive of the state to bring the two religious bodies together during this Ramadan to fraternise with the sole objective of enhancing peace and mutual coexistence in the state and appealed to the Governor to sustain the wonderful initiative, adding, the Muslim Council Chairman also commended the effort of the first lady for working tirelessly to bring succour to women and youths in the state and encouraged her not to relent in the good works that she has started through her foundation, Hope Afresh.
On his part, the CAN Chairman, Rev. Dr. Ben Ube said the emergence of Governor Ishaku as Taraba State Governor was not an accident but God’s design and this has been attested to by the numerous laudable projects that have either been commissioned or are on going and prayed for more peoples oriented projects that will better the lives of Tarabans.
Dr. Ben Ube maintained that the rescue mission is yielding great results and assured the Governor of CAN’s support and that, he shall prevail in all that he ventures into and task the Governor to run an all encompassing administration so that the smiles he has started putting on the faces of people of the state will continue to the end.
Credit: Taravoices
Friday 1 July 2016
Taraba To Access N14.16 Billion FG Loan Facility For More Project Development
The Taraba state Government is set to take a N14.16 Billion Facility under the Federal Government Conditional Budget Support Facility subject to meeting certain conditions, as resolved by the National Economic Council.
A letter sent to the Taraba state House of Assembly by Governor of Taraba state, Arc. Darius Ishaku, dated June 28, 2016, seeking the approval of the House, stated that the ‘state has been formally offered the sum of N14.16 Billion…. and shall be available in three tranches.
According to the letter, the facility was due to the economic meltdown as a result of the fall in the price of crude oil which hampers the ability of states to discharge their responsibilities.
The letter reads:‘The disbursements are conditional upon the initial financial review and the attainment of targets to be outlined in an individually tailored Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP).The terms of the Fiscal Sustainability Plan (FSP) were agreed at the National Economic Council Meeting held on May 19,2016.This subsidized interest rate of 9 per cent, one year moratorium and ten year tenure was agreed upon. Repayments have been securitized against future dividends or refunds due from the Federal Government’.
The Speaker, Abel Peter Diah, presided over the plenary and read the letter without any debate. The governor concluded in the letter that ‘in order to move our state to another level, we need this funding programme.
The consent of the members on the document was sought through a voice vote and by a unanimous consent, the House approved the Facility. The Speaker then directed the Clerk of the House, to communicate the governor on the development.
However, Speaker of the House, Abel Peter Diah, in his remarks, stressed that the Facility was only meant for capital projects and not recurrent expenditure.
Meanwhile, the House has adjourned sitting to July 11, 2016, to enable members celebrate the Sallah.
EFCC Investigates Garba Umar(UTC) For Alleged Stealing Of Taraba State Fund
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has begun investigation into the alleged looting of Taraba States treasury by the sacked Acting Governor, Garba Umar, popularly called UTC.
Ibrahim Lamorde
Umar’s name is on a list with 10 former governors standing trial for alleged corruption.
The anti-corruption agency invited him in a letter dated June 6, signed by the Head of Economic Governance, Olufunke Adetayo-Ogumbode.
The letter, entitled: “Investigation Activities –Letter of Invitation”, was received by the Taraba State government on July 17, requesting the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Anthony Jellason, to ask Umar to report to the EFCC for “an interview.”
Jellason was fired by Umar when he (Jellason) was the commissioner for Agriculture. Jellason’s sack, including that of ex-Governor Danbaba Suntai’s loyalists, by Umar, was believed to be political.
Our Source learnt that the majority of Taraba indigenes demanded the probe of the former acting governor, for allegedly stealing billions of the state’s funds and leaving Taraba in a debt of over N20billion, mostly incurred from bank overdrafts.
Following the plane crash involving ex-Governor Suntai on October 25, 2012, Umar, his deputy, became the acting governor between November 14, 2012 and November 21 last year when he was sacked by the Supreme Court for “illegally and unconstitutionally occupying the office.”
It was reported that “Umar, during his illegal reign, threw to the dogs, financial and administrative instructions with impunity.” He was also accused of lack of accountability and fiscal recklessness.
Umar is to answer questions on three-count charge, including conspiracy, theft and abuse of office, according to the EFCC.
Its letter reads: “The commission (EFCC) is conducting an enquiry into a case of conspiracy, abuse of office and diversion of public funds.”
Thursday 30 June 2016
Gov Ishaku At The Ongoing Flag-Off Ceremony Of The 'Keep Kaduna Green' In Kaduna
Governor Darius Ishaku, the executive governor of Taraba state was among the dignitaries invited by the Kaduna state government, led by Gov Nasir El-rufai to witness the flag-off ceremony of the 'keep Kaduna Green'.
The event which has kick started, has Gov El-rufai giving the keynote address.
Excerpt, is the key note address by Gov. El-rufai;
PROTOCOLS
Let me begin by welcoming all our distinguished guests to Kaduna. I thank you most warmly for identifying with our project to make our state green by planting at least one million trees every year.
Our government considers the Keep Kaduna Green Project an important intervention. In planting one million trees every year, we intend to achieve many goals. Across our state, we will thereby be checking desertification. We will be creating jobs for the people who will plant and nurture the trees. The trees will ultimately grow and improve the look of our cities and towns. The shade and reassuring feel that leafy neighbourhoods project should be accessible to all residents of our state in their own neighbourhoods.
Trees play such a crucial role in the human drama. They help provide shelter, fuel and food; assist soil stability, protect water sources, and generally improve the environment. Yet too many people treat trees with regrettable indifference, cutting them down without replacements, destroying whole forested areas for purposes ranging from farming to real estate. Like most things with which nature has blessed humanity, there is a need for the necessary awareness and determination to use them in a sustainable way; to realise that these natural endowments need time to regenerate and that human beings are the ultimate losers when we adopt an attitude of unrelenting exploitation.
Therefore, we will accompany our Keep Kaduna Green project with a determined effort of public education. The goal is to foster a keen appreciation for nature across the generations. The projection is to engage about 26,000 persons across the state in the massive tree-planting effort we have embarked on. We trust that they will do their best to nurture the trees. But there is no doubt that our effort to Keep Kaduna Green will succeed only because our communities collectively support the project. I believe that we can persuade our people to invest their effort in protecting our environment, in beautifying our cities and in creating jobs.
Thus our grassroots approach to realising the goals of the Keep Kaduna Green Project involves ensuring that 65,000 trees are planted in each Local Government Area every year. Our communities will be mobilised to take concrete action against desert encroachment so as to preserve valuable arable land and ensure food security. In village and city alike, the cooling effect, and the air-filtering quality of trees are deeply appreciated.
The government will also provide an incentive for protecting and nurturing the seedlings. We have deliberately chosen economic trees for this project so that those who nurture them will have a share when the trees begin fruiting. Trees are valuable in themselves, but we hope the bonus of fruits will help make them much more valuable to many more people.
Ladies and Gentlemen, as we flag-off the Keep Kaduna Green project today by planting trees, I wish to urge all residents of Kaduna State to embrace the idea. In addition to the trees the government is planting, citizens can complement the effort by planting trees and flowers in their homes. Indeed, we have directed KASUPDA that henceforth, no building plans are to be approved for the construction of any building in our state unless the planting of at least four trees for every 900 square meters of land under development. In our schools, health centers and public facilities, aggressive tree planting will also be mandated. There will be further events to take the project across the state, engage our communities and make ours a state that is getting greener as it is becoming great again.
I wish to thank IDC, our partners in this grand effort, for their initiative and technical assistance they are providing for our tree-planting project. Our thanks go to the Vice Chancellor of the Kaduna State University for hosting us today, and all the senior government officials, members of the State Executive Council, our royal fathers and our State House of Assembly for being here to support this flag-off.
I wish to thank my sisters, the ministers of environment, and of budget and planning for being consistently supportive of all our initiatives in Kaduna State. My gratitude goes to Senator Binta Masi Garba, a daughter of Kaduna State who had represented Kaduna South twice in the House of Representatives but now represents Adamawa State in the Senate.
I thank my colleagues, the governors of Kebbi, Taraba, Jigawa and Sokoto States for being here physically or in representative capacity to support our efforts. Finally, the gratitude of Government and people of Kaduna State goes to our leader and mentor President Muhammadu Buhari who has consistently encouraged, supported and guided us in the direction of making Kaduna, his chosen state of residence for decades, a great place to live.
Thank you for listening.
God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria
Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, OFR
Governor of Kaduna State
June 30, 2016
Court Of Appeal Dismiss Mr David Kente Case Against Taraba Gov. Ishaku
The Court of Appeal sitting in Yola, the Adamawa State capital, today struck out the appeal of a governorship candidate, Mr. David Kente, against the governor of Taraba State, Mr Darius Ishaku.
The petitioner had gone to the appeal court to challenge the eligibility of the Taraba Governor to contest the 2015 elections, on the grounds that he did not contest the primary election.
Mr. Kente, who was a PDP aspirant, contested the primary in December 2014 and lost but later defected to the Social Democratic Party (SDP), to contest the same governorship election in 2015.
In her ruling, Justice Jummai Sanchi of the Appeal Court, Yola, struck out the case, stating that Mr. Kente has no locus standi
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