Aware of the numerous huddles to cross before
being re-elected in the forthcoming political
dispensation slated for 2019 The Taraba state
governor, Arc. Darius Dickson Ishaku and his teams
as noticed by
Naija247News seems not to be leaving any stone
that would obstruct their dreams of piloting the
affairs of the state till 2023 unturned.

One of such moves, that has continue to endear
him to the people of the grassroots, is the recent
payment of two months salary arrears to council
workers, which includes local government
pensioners, traditional rulers, primary school
teachers to mention just a few.
The payment which will henceforth be carried out
through the said workers bank accounts, have been
viewed by the workers themselves as a welcome
development that will put an end to the pilfering of
local government workers salaries.

The development which our reporter noticed has
suddenly chased away wrinkles vehemently
competing for the available spaces on the faces of
the workers in the past, has began to make them
see the governor as the much awaited messiah the
people especially council workers have being
patiently longing to arrive and dismantle the chains
that have being weighing them down like Paul and
Silas.
Unlike his counterparts, that are finding it
cumbersome to reach out to workers at the state
levels, the situation which have made civil servants
in such states to turned their backs at such states
government, the reverse seems to be the case with
Governor Ishaku too.
Apart from the fact that local government councils
have now become beehive of activities, as workers
no longer experience massive deduction of the
salaries as it use to be when their payments are not
made through banks, state government workers are
as well not dreaming of downing their work
implements as their salaries are paid as at when
due.
His decision to also lift the long years banned on
employment, as have seen by our state
correspondent, has again accelerated the political
profile of the governor, whose body language has
being on how to emerge victorious in the next poll.
Some workers from the various councils across the
state who bared the minds to our state
correspondent have not only vowed to ensure his
re-election provided he did not cease speeding
smiles on their faces, but also promised to continue
their quota to the ‘ Rescue Agenda’ of the governor.
Overwhelmed by the action of the governor, the
Permanent Secretary Bureau for Local Government
and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Bello Yero, said the
action would go a long way to address the sharp
practices at the local government level.
For those who are playing politics of sentiments, he
admonished them to as a matter of urgency desist
and throw their weights behind the governor whom
he said is working tirelessly round the clock to take
the state to greater heights.
Noting that the governor is trying to correct the ills
in the state, the planned biometric exercise to be
carried out at the council, he said should not be
view as political vendetta, but should be anxiously
accepted with open hands as it is designed ” to
correct all the wrongs in our state civil service.”


The ongoing gestures to council workers as made
known by him, was also extended to all the
traditional rulers stating that ” this settlement of
two months salary arrears is cutting across primary
school teachers, traditional rulers, local
government pensioners etc.”
Yero who would not want to dive into issues outside
his area of jurisdiction is optimistic that the
ongoing hand of friendship being extended to
workers by the governor him he described as ” an
architect of development” has further won him a
political point before the people.
Charging workers to reciprocate by giving the much
needed helping hands to the governor to achieving
his dream of making the state the most peaceful
state in the country ” all that the governor is asking
us to give him” according to Yero ” is peace.”


” The governor” he said ” want us to give him peace
so that he will in turn give us development. So I am
calling on all our workers especially those at the
local government councils to go extra legitimate
mile to make peace available in their councils.”
To the the council chairmen, he urged them to
begin to look inward by exploring all the available
opportunities to increase the Internally Generated
Revenue (IGR) of the state as that according to him
would assist the governor to achieve its dream of
relying on funds from the crude oil for the payment
of workers remunerations.
Yero who also took his time to speak on the lifting
of ban on employment said the action has not only
earned the governor more popularly, but would
also go a long way to curb vices that are
necessitated as a result of unemployment among
the youths.

For the governor to continue to herald the much
needed growth to the state, all hands according to
him must be on deck ” so we have to put aside
sentiment because this governor has great passion
for this state and our people.”
Adding that ” if you look at the present economy
situation of the country you will agree with me that
our governor is one of the governors that don’t joke
with workers salaries.”
Believing that his numerous records of
achievements will speak for him in the next poll, the
people of the state whom he said are not only ”
wise” would as well tread all legitimate paths to
ensure his victory.

Collaborating Bello, some council chairmen, lauded
the efforts the governor and the leadership of the
Burrau for Local Government and Chieftaincy
Affairs, whom they said have being working hand in
hands to restructure and reform the local
government councils.
Should the governor continue in this feat, they
believed he would not sweat to emerged as the
People’ Democratic Party governorship candidate
for the state in the 2019 general elections, as well as
the next governor of the state.
Seeking for pen protection, one of the council
chairmen told The Guardian that ” since the very
day that Governor Ishaku decided to appoint Yero
to oversee the affairs of the Bureau for Local
Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, we knew that
there is going to be great change at the local
government. So I must confess to you that we are
very proud of him a dour governor.”


On the decision for qualified graduates seeking for
employment to dust their certificate an apply for
job in the state civil service, the chairmen are of the
view that such a step ” in the right direction” is
enough to make the governor triumph in 2019.
Also on his own part the state chairman of the
Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Peter Gambo,who
spoke to Naija247News in a telephone, said the
lifting of ban on employment and the payment of
council workers two months salary arrears is a
welcome development to the entire people of the
state.
Some political analysts who believed that the
governor has done what no past governors have
done since the creation of the state 25 years ago,
opinions no amount of heat would debarred him
from being re-elected come next political
dispensation.

Culled from Naijanews24/7