Crisis At The Curve of Change: A Governor’s Legacy.
By Samson Zanunga
Taraba State Governor, His Excellency Darius Ishaku went a step further at the summit of his reelection for a second term by stamping his authority albeit his firm grip on the infrastructural deficit in the state and thus defying the odds by signing the dotted line and thereby giving the all-clear signal for the construction of a flyover bridge across the Jalingo metropolis as well as the almost forgotten Mararaba to Baissa road construction without an inkling of any unforeseen circumstances.
His belief hinges on a spectrum of possibilities regardless of the dwindling economy of the state as well as the nation.
As we journey through the very first unsteady steps this administration took, it wouldn’t be farfetched to state that the euphoria that greeted the supreme court judgment of the 2015 gubernatorial elections snowballed into a need to cover lost grounds with lightning speed due to time-lapse.
The civil service reforms initially met stiff resistance from corrupt government officials whose hands were already soiled due to corrupt practices which eventually caved in as revelations were made to sanitize the sector.
The reforms that a few thought was a means of witch-hunting turned around to be a blessing to the youths and the unemployed. As if that was not enough, the health sector received a massive boost, both education and agriculture, as well as water, received an inflow of resources that galvanized them. These and many more were the initial early first steps despite the length of time spent at the court.
Fast forward to the second tenure with over fourteen months into his second tenure, this distinguished Taraban took the bull by the horns and ordered the commencement of the flyover project which has generated mixed reactions from different sections of the polity.
To some, it is a federal government awarded contract while some citizens felt it was impossible for the state government to embark on such a magnificent edifice regardless of the drought in resources across the country and the global COVID-19 pandemic which has halted the major grandiose projects across the country.
He even went ahead successfully completed the structural engineering works of the Senate building of the State University which has been unoccupied since it’s construction over half a decade ago.
To set the records straight, yours truly followed on the contract signing between the state government and the contractor in early 2018.
The state government had devised ways of addressing the issue of road expansion and construction at both ends of the state (the north and southern senatorial zones).
Firstly to the north, it is due to the notorious nature of heavy-duty vehicle drivers who usually park along the major highway from the city gate through the Danbaba Suntai Airport.
While to the South is the Mararaba to Baissa road project which has spanned several decades with little or nothing being done to give citizens from that zone a true sense of belonging. Meanwhile, the dualization project was carefully conceptualized and is being shrewdly executed with maximum ease and speed at the same pace as the Baissa road.
No doubt, at the curve of every change there is a crisis. The crisis usually is borne out of ignorance or possibly the flexing of muscles amongst the ruling elite.
Various interest and tactics are deployed to get the attention of government and when it seems unlikey, emotions flare and the end result is usually calamitous but little do they know what collective interest can bring when deferences are substituted with determined effort and working for the common good of the state becomes the ideal.
This government has defied the odds against it by opening up the state to investors. The counterpart funding paid by this government is the results we are witnesses to in some sectors.
To many but a few, it is their wish that this government bows out without the least of achievements, however, they failed to understand what a tactician Governor Darius is. He has taken his time to understand the dynamics of governing a state like Taraba and the challenges peculiar to the state. He has a stopwatch strapped around his wrist and to the same many but a few who are still at the spot he walked away from, governance is not by word of mouth but the actions therein.
The change to curb the complacent nature of infrastructural deficit is a task he has embarked upon to unravel. He has not lost the support of his constituents. In spite of the much-debated social media topic for loss of relevance by Governor Ishaku in Takum, he received a heroic welcome by his kinsmen to the shock and disbelief of his social media critics.
In fact, they were expecting a naira rain or if you like, shower to be the carrot approach for him to pull such a crowd only saw most if not all of his critics go into hiding to cover their reproach. Times have changed and the ship is still asail.
As we keep our focus on the ongoing infrastructural development across the state, it is my belief that as a dog does not bark at past events,
Governor Ishaku has moved on. He is optimistic that peace will return to the trouble spots in the state. He has successfully conducted local council elections with little or no violence.
Those still hanging on the fringes should be aware that the much-expected change they craved for, is the unforeseeable future. The time to move on to a spectrum of possibilities is now. Together we can. Together it is easy.