A pressure group, Tarabans in the Diaspora, has called on Governor Agbu Kefas to stop ‘wasteful spending’ and take governance seriously.
Martins Joel, spokesperson of the group, in a statement in Abuja, said there are a lot of reasons that suggest that Governor Agbu does not consult or seek the opinions of either his aides or relevant stakeholders before arriving at critical decisions.
Joel said the idea of going around meeting consultants or embassies without first discussing or critically examining such issues as education, economy, security, or even projects is not a good path to take.
“It will only mean that Taraba goes for those meetings without the right data for engagement and with a shallow understanding of the situation.
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“This has also led to a lot of rumours that the governor trusts outsiders for decisions affecting the state rather than relying on the abundant human resources in the state. Are we stopping him from consulting outsiders? No! But he shouldn’t ignore the people within, and if he is consulting them, it should be clearly seen,” he said.
While acknowledging that the governor showed flickers of hope in his early days in office as he was seen visiting schools – primary, secondary, and tertiary schools, and hospitals, among others, Joel said: “What we have seen since the few days of what now seems to be a subterfuge is a downward spiral of everything in governance even if we were to use his predecessor (ex-gov Darius Ishaku)’s abysmal standards as a criterion to gauge Gov Kefas.”
He said: “Most of Agbu’s commissioners rarely stay at their duty posts to work for the majority of Tarabans; they are seen travelling along with the governor wherever he goes. This has further helped in crippling government activities within the state and further encouraging staff redundancy within the ministries.
“Months after the inauguration of the state cabinet, the commissioners have not been able to articulate and communicate in clear terms what their focus or any new reform that will kick-start the Taraba economy. The new ministries have not been able to come out and educate the citizens on what to expect or what reforms they intend to carry out.
“This has left us to wonder if at all, the governor has any plans for the state outside travelling all over the place. If these travels are for this very purpose, then there should be a clear picture of what will happen and how it will happen, and quickly too,” he added.
Efforts to speak with the governor’s spokesman were unsuccessful as he was said to have accompanied his principal to Bayelsa ahead of Saturday’s governorship elections.