Report card for the Governor of Taraba State His Excellency Dr. Agbu Kefasas requested and sent to the Report Card Africa Desk by his Media Team.
The month of May will make it two years since Dr. Agbu Kefas took over the affairs of Taraba state as its governor. In those two years, Dr. Kefas has effectively addressed and touched all the sectors of the state. He has also set in motion many programs that will eventually yield great results when they come to fruition.
In all, Governor Kefas has continued to run the state with humility, transparency, fear of God, and a deep love for the people. His policies have been buoyed by his ingrained selflessness and proclivity for excellence. Dr. Kefas is reworking Taraba state, building back carefully and practically recreating the state in his own image and likeness. And like in the creation story, the amiable governor is hovering, brooding, and rebuilding the neglected broken walls.
Security.
At the Governorship campaigns, Dr. Kefas was asked what will be his first duty if he won at the polls. He didn't mince words as he said, "securing the state." Today, even the most acerbic of critics will attest Taraba state is the beacon of safety in the sub region. People now sleep in peace. Working with partners and stakeholders, Governor Kefas, a retired soldier, has successfully secured the state. Based on Dr. Kefas in-built friendly disposition and camaraderie, the nation's security apparatus has made Taraba an example. They have partnered with local communities to continue to keep the state safe. The Governor himself has not shirked away from his responsibilities of supporting them to succeed with his attention and devolvement of the needed fund.
Free Education
In Taraba state, parents and students alike are living out their dreams in the educational sector with free education. At the primary and secondary school levels, enrollment has increased. Out of school children's figures have significantly dropped. At the university, the governor has slashed the tuition fee by half, making it easy for families to cope with that burden.
Components of the free education policy like teachers' welfare and retraining have also taken centre stage. Construction of more school buildings and the rebuilding of the existing ones are receiving a boost. With 60 schools getting built right now as pilot schemes, it is clear that this revolutionary policy is here to stay.
Good governance
Governor Kefas has restored faith in governance in the last two years. Appointing youths into top positions of governance, Dr. Kefas ensured that the system works well. Restoring Running costs for the Ministeries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) have jerked up the spate of work and have incentivised hard work. Once again, the offices are back to life with civil servants happy with the work environment.
Prompt Salaries
A good man, Dr. Kefas believes in rewarding hard work. And this has become a cornerstone of good governance in Taraba: prompt payments of salaries and quick sorting out of pensions and gratuities. Before he came, the last time pensions and gratuities were paid was over a decade. He rolled back the reproach and began payments to the delight of retirees who had given up hopes.
Road networks
Governor Kefas understands that the road to development is just that: roads. This is why he has equipped the state owned TARCMA with the state of art equipment to embark on massive inter city road networks.
Meanwhile, partnering with a reputable Chinese construction conglomerate, Dr. Kefas has established the highway to road revolution to link Taraba state with the rest of the nation. Railways are also in the works in the long term. At the time of this report, Army engineers, in conjunction with the state ministry of works, have mapped out all the roads that need fixing, and work has commenced.
Airport.
Dr. Kefas has lifted the face of the Danbaba Suntai Airport in Jalingo to global heights. The airport can now take more carriers with its very modern equipment and adornment. With 3 major flights in and out of the airport every week, Taraba state is experiencing more influx of visitors and investors.
Tractors
Dr. Kefas has doubled down on his commitment to the agricultural sector. His belief is that Taraba state can feed itself and the rest of the nation, given its comparative advantage in food production. With the largest stretch of river Benue in the state, Taraba state is an agricultural giant. Dr. Kefas working with local and international partners is poised to make this state the true food basket of the nation.
For the first time in the history of the state, massive deployment of tractors became a major plank of the agricultural revolution. Before now, the Tractor Hiring Unit of the state had no functional tractors. But now, over 290 units of tractors are here. These are changing the face of farming in the state.
Solid Minerals
Governor Kefas' first executive order was to declare a state of emergency in the area of solid mineral exploration. Today, illegal mining has been dealt a death blow. The state is now ripe to begin enjoying huge dividends in its surplus solid minerals deposits.
Health Sector.
With new incentives for doctors in the form of new salary structures and other motivations, Taraba state is now the health haven of the country. Dr. Kefas has ensured the completion of the Ussa General Hospital, in addition to transforming the Wukari General Hospital to a federal teaching hospital. The TY Danjuma referral hospitals with their ulrra modern facility are also adding value to the health sector. There are plans for massive recruitment of health workers even as the Jalingo based school of nursing is now wearing new looks.
Mobile hospitals and modern health equipment are also changing the medical vista of the state. The training of staff as well as making the existing hospitals more modern is also changing the health narratives.
Focus on farmers.
Dr. Kefas is the quintessential farmer friendly governor. Apart from the systematic record taking of our state's farmers to ascertain their numbers, the government is always providing fertilisers, pesticides, and other farms implements. This is supported by the farmers' protection efforts to ensure the farms are safe.
Tied to this is the reinvigorated effort to also make livestock a major part of agriculture in the state. The governor set up, for the first time, the livestock agency to minimise the crisis of farmers and herders and get the best of the livestock sector in Taraba.
Linking Taraba to the rest of the world.
Dr. Kefas has engrafted Taraba state to the rest of the world. A hitherto unknown state, Taraba state today has made inroads on the global stage. With visit to major business capitals of the world, Dr. Kefas is adroitly reintroducing Taraba to global partners. Each trip is backed by a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in select sectors. The massive benefits of these foreign forays can only be imagined. Already, foreign partners have started trooping into the state to set up their industries with all their implications for job creations and further development.
Local government governance
One of the first things Governor Agbu Kefas did was to ensure elections took place at the local government level. This dealt with the crisis of appointed officials as local government administrators. Today, all 16 local governments have elected officials who are answerable to the electorate. This has deepened accountability and good governance. Noticeably, this has made the much needed autonomy of local governments easier to implement. Dr. Kefas chairmen are not the errand boys of the past. They are independent, empowered, and strengthened to carry out the mandate of their offices.
Traditional rulers
Under Dr. Kefas, their higneses have found a partner to be more effective in their roles as custodians of cultural values. Apart from ensuring they are carried along in all government moves, Dr. Kefas does not play with their well-being and dignity. A royalty himself, Dr. Kefas makes sure the royal fathers continue to be relevant in statecraft. Today, they have been carefully woven into the fabric and tapestry of governance in a way never seen before
Judicial reforms
A full respecter of the Separation of Power, Dr. Kefas ensures that judges and all judicial workers are taken care of. The reforms have dealt with an age long crisis of welfare, promotions, and befitting working conditions.
Better Revenue
Working with the relevant agencies, Governor Kefas has ensured that all the loopholes of the past are blocked to shore up earnings. Today, the state IGR (Internally Generated Revenue) has moved up from some meagre millions to appreciable billion naira marks. One way the governor has done this was to employ seasoned tax experts headed by a no-nonsense retired soldier and accountant, Gen Jeremiah Faransa.
Civil Service Reforms
The governor has jerked the civil service back to life literally. Apart from undertaking to renovate their secretariat that was first built in the days of the military, Governor Kefas has doubled down on his commitment to the civil force. Their promotions, retraining, and remuneration are matters he tale very personal. With an effective Head of Service (HoS) in Dr. Kara, the governor, is delivering on his mandate to make the civil service a veritable plank in his moving forward agenda.
A new House of Assembly
Still, in his determination to ensure the Separation of Powers really works well, Governor Kefas has found a fine way to work with the legislative arm in such a way that tiers of government cooperation have been enhanced. And to further deepen the harmonious relationship, Governor Kefas has embarked on practically rebuilding the state House of Assembly. The new edifice has helped in elevating the status of the lawmakers as well as aiding their work ethics. Little wonders, therefore, that the usual Executive/Legislation bickering's have disappeared and the law making processes enhanced.
Government House face lift.
The Government House is clearly the most visible symbol of governance. A dilapidated structure could easily also mean an ineffective government. Today, the Government House in Jalingo bears all the great marks of a new place. It is now one of the most enduring symbols of how governance has changed in Taraba state. With new offices, digitization, and better vehicles, the GH, Taraba is one of the best in the region where government activities can take place and where the governor can play host to visiting dignitaries.
No comments:
Post a Comment