CHIEF DAVID SABO KENTE AND HIS RESTORATION AGENDA OF TARABA STATE: A TASK THAT SHOULD BE EMBRACED BY ALL

By Ishaya Ibrahim Paabu.

Whenever the name Chief David Sabo Kente (DSK) is been mentioned in Taraba, it comes with a messianic aura typical of a providential man who is been waited upon to come and bring development, growth and restoration to a people in obscurity. Unarguably, the name DSK as he is fondly called is ubiquitous in Taraba today. It is not by emergency, the man has longed pitched himself with his omnipresent investments and philanthropic footprints in Taraba to restore Tarabans.

There is no denial of the incontrovertible fact that Taraba State is one of Nigeria’s least developed state which is faced too with the problem of poor revenue generation. In an ironic twist, Taraba is also one of the most endowed state in terms of natural resources, which should make it the number one investment destination. These two facts is as plain as a pikestaff. With over 40 mineral resources available in the state, there is every reason it is called “Nature’s gift to the Nation”. But in-spite of being the “Nature’s Gift to the Nation”, Taraba is one State economically comatose, socially torpid, and business-wise sluggish. A state best describe as a synonym to moribund.

It is difficult to accept that there is hardly any other reason for our backward position as a state other than the leadership failure. It is always about the leader – the man or woman who steers the ship of state. What values do they bring to the table? What is their blueprints? And who are the persons the electorates vote for? The first two questions lies on the last one. This always have been embedded in our decision formula in choosing those who pilot the affairs of our state. Past election years precisely the last two, Tarabans have been confined to innocent reliance on the selfish decision of the political elite to which the masses subscribe gullibly to. The result is what has made us to be stagnated.

We are in a defining point. And at this very critical moment, It behooves to say that the gubernatorial aspiration of Chief David Sabo Kente is the best thing that can happen to Tarabans. Nothing can substitute having DSK at the helm of affairs of our state at this dire period of stagnation and decline in virtually all sector of Taraba. And amidst scarcity of funds from the center, all what we need is for us to have a man who can evolve our state’s economy with ideas that will steer our enormous economic potentials and create jobs for the people as well. Truly, Taraba should not again miss the quality service of Chief David Sabo Kente which would propel our state to rank top in the committee of states.

The 21st century has left us behind. The past six years has been the worst. We are comatose and the result as everyone can see is that the state has been the worse for it. Taraba, must weather through the storms, and get it right this time around. Chief David Sabo Kente and his restoration agenda is a task that should be embrace by every committed Taraban across all divide. The man is being called the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Restoration Agenda for a reason, he has the capacity to take the state to another era of industrialization. What even Lee Kuan Yew took thirty (30) years to do in Singapore, it will take chief DSK eight ( years to set Taraba on the same path of that great reputation. Good governance is not magic, it is for leaders to take up responsibilities and utilize the right resources for the right needs. Fashola did it in Lagos. Nasir El-Rufai is doing it in Kaduna. Chief David Sabo Kente can do it in Taraba.

Earlier this year around February when the renowned World View Magazine released transcripts of an interview on his perspective on the economic position of Taraba and how he intend to change the narrative if given the opportunity, the GOC of the restoration agenda, Chief David Sabo Kente got people startled and amazed at his intelligent response. The established entrepreneur, business mogul and technocrat had this to say which read in parts “...The the world is changing. Governance is not all about collecting subvention and disbursing but is all about going there to show your ingenuity in terms of revenue generation and expenditure control. If you can’t do that effectively you cannot survive in the current dispensation. That is the system that works all over the world. The oil is already going down and the subvention from the center is not much...”

Still rolling out answers to questions in the interview, he again proved himself to be knowledgeable about the grassroots potentials of Taraba. He said “...an agrarian state like ours needs somebody with a holistic knowledge of the economy of the rural setting in order to be able to put a mark on the ground. I don’t need the government to pomp money for us before we will be able to do a project. We need just synergies. We will need to go into Public Private Partnerships and other sources to have a lot of infrastructure on ground for our people...”

The above is beyond doubt the world best practice. I have never been in doubt to say Chief David Sabo Kente is the finest candidate for the Taraba job. I wonder how a man who have not tested any sort of elective office continually impacts people with smiles, invests much in the economy of Taraba, create job opportunities through his many enterprises, invested also in our educational sector and also has indelible philanthropic marks all round. Such a man is either gifted or skilled. DSK combines both of the attributes.

The year 2023 is fast approaching and again our state Taraba is seriously palpitating on who will be the next pilot of our affairs. As usual, many candidates are showing interest, but believe me only one candidate has carved his niche across Taraba and is worthy to take the crown. Chief David Sabo Kente possess the pedigree and an enviable credential to lead Taraba. Even his worst public critics secretly acknowledge the fact that he is the man whom the cap fits.

The score card of the Kente born entrepreneur is there for all to peruse. He have heavily invested his resources all round Taraba state to boost economic activity and to create job opportunities for the masses. The man, has touched the nooks and crannies of the state with his philanthropic gestures through the DSK foundation so much so that he is been referred to as the senior advocate of the masses. The hour has come, Tarabans we ought to embrace the Restoration Agenda, the General Officer Commanding of this agenda, Chief David Sabo Kente is trusted and will deliver, he is ready to serve.