A socio-political group, Taraba Peoples Assembly TPA, has urged the new acting governor of the state, Alhaji Sani Abubakar Danlandi to face issues of governance rather than concentrating much effort at probing his predecessor, Alhaji Garba Umar.

The acting governor on Monday night set up a thirteen man panel to probe Umar who was sacked on Friday by the Supreme Court.

The group’s Coordinator, Martin Andekin, in a statement on Tuesday describes the attempt to probe Umar administration as clannish and parochial, tainted with undisguised selfish political fanaticism.

In a press release issued recently, the group warned the new acting governor against being used by political desperado's in the state.

"Our concern is for peace and development of our state, Umar has tried his best in the last two years, he has embarked on a lot of projects that has changed the face of Taraba state.
NEW ACTING GOVERNOR DANLADI
NEW ACTING GOVERNOR DANLADI

Umar completed the 13billion Naira Jalingo-Garba Chede road. The project was less than fifty percent completion when Governor Danbaba Suntai was involved in that unfortunate crash. The Takum general hospital was completed, equipped and commissioned by the Umar administration. For some inexplicable reasons the project was ignored. Umar while he was Acting Governor awarded a N17 billion contract for the rehabilitation/reconstruction of the Bali-Gembu road, a federal road. The project is more than eighty per cent completed.

The administration of Umar Garba is on the verge of completing the College of Nursing previously abandoned for almost five years before the Supreme Court judgment.

Umar initiated and completed some projects at the Taraba State University as well as settled outstanding contractors’ claims at the college of education, Zing.

Apart from restoring monthly running cost to ministries, departments and agencies, which had been suspended for more than two years, the administration has been providing funds for the provision of social amenities to the people. Rural electrification projects had also been initiated and commissioned in addition to the sinking of boreholes around the state before the recent court judgement.

Under the education sector, Umar government paid all the required counter funds for Universal Basic Education and settled outstanding scholarship allowances to Taraba state students for three years. To reinvigorate the economic sector, he also approved about seven hundred million Naira as counterpart funds to enable the Taraba Microfinance bank and the ministry of Poverty.

Alleviation to obtain funds from the Central Bank and the Bank of Industries respectively as loans for small and medium enterprise in the state. The list of achievements under Alhaji Umar Garba cannot be exhausted; a probe will be another waste of time and public fund.

The group said the main reason behind the fathom probe is to humiliate and embarrass the Umar ahead of the PDP primary election.

"The Suntai cabal are losing sleeps over Umar's popularity and credibility; his ability to win the next primary and his capacity to emerge victorious at the general election.

"The plot is to make recommendations at the end of the probe that Umar is not fit to hold public offices; head to a court; arrest him and stop him from emerging the PDP candidate in the state.

"Danlandi should remember that the same political camp who disgraced him out of office, only to come back to him when his support was needed to fight a political enemy, his current compositions of Suntai men will only lead him to another political doom.

"We are aware that Danlandi is now a pawn been push around by the cabals to stop Umar from emerging the PDP flag barrier in the next election, we urge him to use the six month ahead of him to consolidate on the achievements made so far, he should not reduce the state to ATM machines for politicians who were uncomfortable with Umar style of prudence in the last two years."

The group urge the new acting governor to use his second chance to purse cause that will benefit the state..COM

BY: Ifedayo Akinwalere