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.
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