This is not an attempt at gloating, but it seems ardent critics of Taraba state helmsman, Gov. Darius Dickson Ishaku are having a hard time pinning down the architect turned power broker. No pun intended but the cynics are fast running out of reasons to run Governor Ishaku down. Suddenly, nothing appears to be sticking anymore as the mudslinging is no longer working. So, in some desperate manoeuvre, they found themselves clutching at straws like drowning men and women. The reason for this is not far fetched. It is hard to attack a man who is addressing the central issues of governance with the dexterity, agility and systematic planning of Governor Ishaku. Nothing shuts the naysayers up like performance. What, for instance, do you do to a man who is tackling issues of unemployment with teaching jobs to thousands of job seekers? Or denying idleness a place in Taraba through skills acquisition outlets? Or a man who adroitly revived dead industries to stimulate more jobs and kick start the Taraba industrial revolution? It is a tough job for critics to outpace a man who daily labours at fixing all sorts of defects in the system.
When you, for instance, say he has not adequately tackle the issue of roads, you are suddenly confronted with some of the top road projects he has embarked on across the state. These are roads forgotten for decades but which now have the hopes of becoming realities. And communities are ecstatic in anticipations. The Tsokundi road is befitting example here. Growing up in Wukari , I remember using the terrible terrain to get to the hinterlands of Tsokundi. The prospect of having a highway here is a happy one and even if you do not like DDI (as we love to call the governor), you are forced to acknowledge the judgement and thoughtfulness exercised here. You are compelled too to nod in appreciation in the work going on on the Yorro road that links communities to Jalingo, ending years of neglect. Or the Lau road. These are forgotten highways which, when completed would not only link people to progress. They would also enhance commerce, jump-start development and deepen security. Someone once said that the road to prosperity is just that: roads. DDI understands this. It is hard for even sincere critics to slam these.
But among the revolutionary efforts of this administration, like the magical digitisation of our television station, is the opening up of the skies via the new airport. We, as a state, have never been so linked with modernisation like now. DDI inherited an old airport that was not in commercial use, almost looking like an abandoned project. Of course, previous governments have tried to make it viable without much success. The result is that Jalingo, for many, remained the “forbidden city.” The thought of doing close to eleven hours of bad road transport was one that kept many away from the state. Neither was Taraba attractive to investors and tourists. But swinging into action early in the regime, DDI ensured the airport is now at par with those of places where air travel is taken for granted across the country. The Jalingo airport has ushered in a new era of air travel into Taraba state, effectively ending years of barrenness and isolation. Prosperity, friendship and other goodies keep dropping from the sky each week as the Overland Airline provides services three times a week. There is flight in and out of Jalingo on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Hopefully, it would even be daily soon. As I said, this has profoundly opened up the state as never seen before. I was aboard overland recently when a well known critic of DDI was waxing lyrical, castigating the governor. A youth Corp member coming into the state then asked the man if it was true DDI made the air transport possible. The critic said yes but proceeded to still lash out at the “non performing” governor. But at this point, Mr. Critic sounded hollow as the Corp member just stared at him. I’m sure she was wondering how a non performer can pull off the air transport for his state. I’m not against critics but they must not get to the point where they sound ridiculous. Or where blind rage has replaced clarity of thoughts and ideas.
Those trying hard to paint DDI black have pointed to the salary conundrum which is almost a national malaise. But even here, it takes a committed die hard cynic not to acknowledge the effort of the governor. For sure, there are still pockets of complains, but DDI has practically paid up all salary backlogs. And when you look Southwards towards some states where we hear gory tales of civil servants being owed eleven months or even more and top directors committing suicide over the matter, it is difficult not to swallow one’s pride and admire DDI’s commitment to workers welfare.
I can’t pretend not to hear what DDI’s traducers are saying. After all, they are all over the social media. The latest attack is that DDI is a religious bigot. But a thorough examination of this charge also renders it incompetent. A religious bigot does not approve budgets for pilgrimages or appoint members of other faiths as top aides, among other things.
In short, DDI’s traducers are no longer coming out with convincing facts and figures. Oh for sure, there are plenty conjectures, innuendos, exaggerations and hearsays. There are empty anger, and pent up frustrations by politicians who don’t know what to make of an architect doing well in their domain. There are people vexed by the regime of suffering imposed on us from Abuja and those who worry about their personal ambition as we head into 2019! There are masquerades scared of being unmasked and fortune hunters worried about bad luck. We have all of these but what you can’t find is reason, sense and coherence by the attackers. They could speak endlessly of a man they call a failure. Yet, they can’t even convince a toddler about that. For it is not just enough to call someone a failure. That’s easy. The hard work is telling me why he’s a failure and how he failed. Thus, in the absence of any concrete evidence, you are left with personal attacks, insults and crude conspiracy theories that are not adding up. And the majority of our people are no longer gullible since they can discern and tell the difference.
Bello is the Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Governor Ishaku.
