2 YEARS REPORT CARD: GOV KEFAS SCORES EXCELLENTLY IN ALL SECTORS (Part 1)
Emmanuel Bello
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.
Gov Agbu Kefas
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.
