Amidst kidnapping, ethnic crisis, University Closure: Governor Ishaku travels abroad to rest

A Taraba Truth and Facts report
After a rigorous campaign session, Governor Darius Ishaku has travelled oversea to rest, leaving the state amidst daily violence kidnapping for ransom; ethnic crisis in Wukari and Donga and the State University forcefully closed by members of Academic Staff Union of universities, ASUU.
The Governor left the country after attending a wedding ceremony of his sister in Jos last Saturday, leaving serious governance to political appointees and few commissioners. 
Currently the Deputy Governor of the State Haruna Manu, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly Abel Peter Diah and  other senior government officials are in Abuja and oversea, all resting from election stress.
The Governor also failed to set up his much mouthed anti kidnapping committee to tackle wave of violence kidnapping for ransom before travelling out of the country.
Taraba Truth and Facts gathered that serious state issues are left unattended to due to lack of coordination among political office holders as only the governor can summon a security meeting with heads of security agencies to tackle growing insecurities in the state.
 “We are waiting for the governor to meet with head of security agencies in the state on how to tackle these kidnappers, also you know there is an anti kidnapping committee but nobody knows who are its members and its terms of reference. 
“But I can assure you with proper logistics and political will on the part of politicians we will root these kidnappers out because like your newspaper rightly reported these gangsters are known to politicians.”   A security source told Taraba Truth and Facts.
In the past few weeks, kidnappers had abducted more than 40 people in Taraba State only few capable of paying heavy ransom are released.
On almost a daily basis, Kidnappers unleashes terror in Jalingo metropolis, Takum and Gassol local governments.
On Wednesday Branch Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association  NBA Wukari  Chapter and  two other lawyers alongside  a driver were  kidnapped along Takum-Wukari road. 
A resident in Primary board area of Jalingo told Taraba Truth and Facts that kidnappers now daily raid the area for hostages.
“Every night kidnappers comes to the environment and abduct people, we hear gunshots every night, a shop boy was kidnapped in the area on Tuesday night after his boss escaped being abducted. The kidnappers are demanding for 5m from the shop owner to secure his boy but the shop owner is offering 200,000. We are living in fear they came on Wednesday to shooting heavily around 2am.”

Top among victims of the kidnap terror are a former chairman of NBA in Jalingo, Barr. Joel Ubandoma was kidnapped in Kona, he was released after spending three days with his abductors; A senior civil servant Alhaji Yahaya Lau also parted away with N5m before regaining his freedom from his abductors. A family of four including a little baby was also abducted in Nyita, Takum. 

Meanwhile ethnic violence in Kente Village , Wukari and Kadarko ward in Donga local government  had claimed over 14 lives and several properties worth millions destroyed.
 Political watcher believes the absence of Governor Ishaku at a time the state is facing several issues is insensitive, describing it as a neglect of duty. 
“even if it’s for 24 hours the governor should not leave the state at a moment like this, it’s natural that even his aides would relax because the governor is not around, its more terrible that  the Deputy governor and speaker too are not in the state. So no elected leader is on ground monitoring these cases. This is the best time to show leadership, identify with the people.
“Governor Ishaku is not on top of his games and the people whom are his constitutionally duty to protect are suffering it, in Kaduna the governor is seen holding security meeting and briefing his people, in Zamfara Yari is meeting with the people on how to fight banditry but our governor is missing in action,” a social commentator told Taraba Truth and Facts.


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