Recreating Taraba State
By
Friday, December 09, 2005
Governor Jolly Nyame, governor of Taraba State has transformed the state from a place nobody wanted to be into a model state full of modern day amenities.
Rev. Jolly Nyame, governor of Taraba State is not a man given to blowing his trumpet. He is a quiet achiever and the people of Taraba, the state he has ruled for more than six years, know this as his character trait.
But they have seen a lot of what the Nyame administration has done for them. The impact of the transformation that the state has seen under his administration has touched the lives of the people positively. And they are grateful.
The philosophy of the Nyame administration is that government money is public money and should be used to promote development that will positively impacted on the welfare of the people.
Nyame's political opponents know that he does not roll out the drums to celebrate his achievements and so they often take advantage of that to spread false information, especially, outside the state against him and his administration.
The Nyame administration has had an outstanding record of performance. It has to its credit many completed projects which are already serving the need of the people they are meant for.
When Nyame was first elected governor of the state in 1991, Taraba State was a place which provided no form of attraction to visitors and even indigenes of the state resident outside. There were no roads. Jalingo, the state capital was worse than even the worst local government headquarters. The entire state lacked virtually all amenities of modern-day development. Nyame resolved to do something to radically change the situation. But his dream was thwarted by the military who rudely terminated the democratic experimentation in 1992.
But Nyame is a man of destiny chosen by God to liberate his people. Another opportunity came for him in 1999 with his election as governor of the state. Governor Nyame, a leader with an abiding concern for the welfare of his people felt it was an opportunity for him to truly serve his people who reposed so much trust and confidence in him. He identified areas of human and economic growth that needed urgent attention of government. These include road, healthcare, water, education, housing, agriculture, sports, rural and urban infrastructural development.
Governor Nyame's achievements are expectedly scattered across the state that even his critics and ardent political rivals have no option than to praise his hardwork. In order to prove to the whole world that his critics were only giving the dog a bad name, just to hang it, he directed the secretary to the state government, Mr. Danbaba Suntai and some members of the state executive council to conduct journalists in the state round his project sites to see for themselves and report objectively. The media group which comprised members of the correspondents and the home based journalists visited many project sites. The tour lasted seven days.
During the tour, the journalists were conducted round all the projects executed by the Nyame administration since 1999. The tour afforded the journalists the opportunity to ask questions on every project visited to clear some doubts especially the impression created by Nyame's critics that most of his project were either abandoned and money meant for them diverted to personal pockets or that no project existed at all in such places.
At the end of the tour, the journalists were amazed with what they saw. They saw a lot. The first conclusion that came to the minds of all journalists that toured the projects executed by Governor Nyame was that Nyame's critics were not fair to him.
One area that the governor Nyame administration has recorded outstanding achievement is healthcare delivery. Today Taraba State can boast of having the best specialist hospital in the northern part of the country.
The ultra-modern Specialist Hospital located in Jalingo, the state capital was built at N1.1billion by the Governor Nyame administration.
Also in the area of healthcare, the administration of Governor Nyame constructed three ultra-modern first referral hospitals in Mutum-Biyu, Gassol Local Government Area, Serti in Gashaka and Pantisawa in Yorro Local Government Areas. The three projects cost the state hundreds of millions of Naira.
That is not all; Governor Nyame has begun the reconstruction of the Takum General Hospital which was burnt down during the Kuteb versus Jukun communal war in 1997. The hospital is the only major health institution that serves three local government areas of Takum, Ussa and Kurmi.
Since the hospital was burnt down the people of these areas have been subjected to untold hardship as they have to contend with the exploitation of private clinics and dispensaries.
Nyame's determination was to alleviate the sufferings of the people of the area hence he considered the reconstruction of the hospital at the cost of over N400 million. In addition, the state government renovated the General Hospital in Wukari Local Government. The list of Nyame's achievements in the area of healthcare delivery is very long. There are also modern maternity clinics in almost all the villages and remote areas in the state. The idea is to take healthcare delivery to the door steps of the people.
The 1,000 housing units built by the Nyame's administration is among the major edifices that have helped to silence the governor's critics and political rivals.
The housing project which is located at the Mile Six area of Jalingo is to provide accommodation for middle class civil servants. The project which cost the state over a billion naira is at 95 percent completion. Also Nyame's administration constructed another 50 Units Housing Project at the Magami area of Jalingo.
Governor Nyame, a man of taste, is already constructing a befitting 40 units of one story building duplex for the members of the state executive council, such as commissioners and special advisers. The project will cost the state millions of naira.
In addition, Nyame's administration has to its credit a 50 number housing units at the Investment Quarters, Jalingo. Most Tarabans who know what the government has achieved are eternally grateful to Governor Nyame, one such achievement is the construction of 21 new roads in Jalingo town. Fourteen years after the creation of the state Jalingo, the state capital had only one motorable road. Today Nyame has changed the status of the state from a glorified hamlet to a growing city of modern amenities.
Civil Servants who before now, parked their vehicles in offices after the close of work due to non-availability of roads to their houses now drive straight to their compounds. Many roads opened in the city have changed all that. The construction of 21 township roads awarded to Speed Engineering Concept, a construction firm at the cost of hundreds of million naira did part of that magic.
Many people were skeptical that the contractor may not be able to execute the project. Today both the contractor and Governor Nyame have proved the doubting Thomaes wrong. Also Nyame's administration constructed a 11 kilometres bye-pass linking the town with Mile Six area of Jalingo through the new ultra-modern specialist hospital. This bye-pass has added beauty to Jalingo town and eased traffic. The road contract which included very long bridge across River Jalingo cost the state government hundreds of millions of naira. Furthermore the administration of Governor Nyame has constructed several rural roads across the length and breath of the state.
Considering the importance of sports as a unifying factor especially in a state like Taraba with 78 ethnic groups, the administration of Governor Nyame has spent hundreds of millions of naira for the construction of ultra-modern sports complex in Jalingo. The stadium project which can be compared to the National Stadium has in-door sporting facilities. It cost the state government over a billion naira. The stadium project is already 75 percent completed.
Because of the importance he attaches to the role of the traditional institutions in the state, Governor Nyame reconstructed the palaces of six traditional rulers. Among the beneficiaries are the Emir of Muri, Lamido Gashaka, Akuka of Wukari, Kpanti Zing, Chief of Mambilla and the Gara of Donga. Also Nyame purchased brand new Prado Jeeps for each of the traditional rulers in order to motivate them to keep peace in their domains.
To attract tourists and to boost the economic base of the state, Governor Nyame built a 50 room structure at the State Motel Jalingo. The Hotel extension which has modern facilities such as a befitting public arena and a dome tent was built by Mr. Bongos Ikwe at the cost of over N700 million. Other projects executed by the Nyame administration include the building of the Presidential Lodge Annex of three triplet duplex. Also Nyame expended millions of naira for the purchase of tractors, fertilisers and other farm implements. This is to boost food production in the state.
Governor Nyame also expended millions of naira on the building of the state secretariat extension to provide more offices accomodation for some ministries. Aside from this, Nyame spent hundreds of millions of naira for the landscaping and the dualisation of the road to the state secretariat. The state secretariat is now an edifice that is being appreciated by all.
Before the coming of Nyame in 1999, the only source of drinking water for the people of Jalingo was the river Jalingo which only produces water during raining season..Today Nyame has brought succour to his people. Taps now run 24 hours providing portable water to the people of Jalingo. Nyame's administration spent over N700 million on the water project which was expanded to serve Mile Six and College of Education areas of Jalingo. Also Nyame's administration executed a similar water project to serve the resident of Ibi and Wukari local government areas. The Ibi water works cost the government millions of naira. The Wukari water project was abandoned immediately Gongola State was created. It received no attention of previous governors. Today Governor Nyame has finally restored water supply to the people of Wukari and Ibi and in other local governments in the state.
To provide more office accommodation to civil servants, Governor Nyame spent hundreds of millions to construct a befitting office complex for the State Board of Internal Revenue. Also ambulances and vehicles were procured for hospitals and the State Transport Company to ease transport problem in the state and to attract more revenue to the state.
Because of the speed at which the state is developing, Governor Nyame deemed it necessary that Taraba State should have its own airport. It is an appreciable long time investment for Jalingo as a growing city in the north east region.
Consequently, Governor Nyame has already awarded the contract for the construction of an airport in Jalingo. The airport project will cost the state over N1 billion. The contract was awarded to TARMAC International. Also Nyame's administration purchased two aircraft to boost the revenue base of the state. The aircraft have since begun commercial operations in the country.
Recently, Nyame awarded the contract for the construction of an ultra modern international market in Jalingo. The market will cost the state about N2.7 billion. When, completed the modern market will rank among the best in the country.
Governor Nyame has in no small measure altered the face of the poor state. His efforts are now being appreciated by all, except his political opponents. But the projects that the governor has completed are there for all to see and they will continue to speak eloquently and positively for the governor long after he may have left office.
|
