By Bala Dan Abu
Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku’s mission to rescue Taraba State from infrastructure decay and take it to greater heights in development has continued to yield dividends in leaps and bounds.
The fruits of these efforts manifested handsomely again last week with the latest ranking of universities by the National Universities Commission, NUC which placed Taraba State University, TSU, among Nigeria’s 20 best universities in the country.
The TSU was ranked 17th out of the 170 universities in Nigeria, beating 153 others. The university is also number four in the entire North, beating older institutions like Bayero University, Kano, University of Jos and University of Abuja.
With this ranking also, TSU becomes the best university in the North East geo-political zone, coming just one step behind behind Atiku’s Amerian University, Yola, which was ranked 16th best university in Nigeria.
That is not the end of the sweet story about Taraba under Ishaku. In the same week, Taraba emerged as the Sixth state in Nigeria with the best Transparency and Integrity records in the conduct of public business. Taraba State beat 30 other states and the FCT to take this enviable position. The rating was contained in the Transparency and Integrity Index 2021 released last week.
The rating exercise is conducted annually to determine the level of transparency exhibited by the states and the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, in the conduct of government business.
This latest twin laurel achieved by Taraba is, no doubt, a remarkable and fitting feather on the trademark red cap of Governor Ishaku. It is a recognition and an appreciation of his hard work and commitment to the promotion of the welfare of the generality of the people of Taraba State.
It also underscores the philosophy of selflessness that the administration has promoted in its conduct of government affairs.
When Ishaku assumed office as governor in 2015, TSU was not a rated university. It was merely struggling to survive.
It had only three professors and a few faculties. The Rescue Agenda of the Ishaku administration intervened with the appointment of a new vice chancellor, employment of over 50 professors and many other categories of highly qualified lecturers. The administration also added a lot more modern facilities, built of lecture halls and lecture theatres and increased students population. Then the story changed dramatically.
Today’s positive story of the outstanding success of TSU is intrinsically linked with the revolution that has also taken place in the lower rungs of the educational ladder in Taraba State. In fact, the education sector under Gov Ishaku is an unbroken chain of positive accomplishments. From the building of over 500 additional classrooms to the renovation of over a thousand classrooms, the provision of millions of instructional materials, the motivation of teachers with training opportunities, regular payment of salaries and the employment of 3,000 graduate teachers in one fell swoop to boost quality of teaching, the sector has seen the best of attention, the type it has never experienced since the creation of the state.
These outstanding credentials of positive transformation in education are replicated in every sector of public service by the Ishaku administration. The health sector today boasts of three world class hospitals, the transport sector now proudly flaunts numerous well built roads with the addition of an airport that is now open to daily flights. All these are part of the credentials of remarkable achievement by the Ishaku administration that have continued to earn major awards and recognition for Ishaku and Taraba State.
The state, courtesy of the administration, has provided regular water supply to Jalingo. It’s determined to consolidate this feat with the completion of the on-going Jalingo Gigantic water scheme. The rural communities have all been served with clean water with the sinking of 800 boreholes in 800 communities in the state.
The agricultural sector has not only become a source of stable food production but has stabilized food prices. Farmers, on the other hand, are making good money and smiling to the banks daily.
The icing sugar on this grand cake of positive achievements by the Ishaku administration is the rating of the administration by Transparency and Integrity Index 2021. What the agency has said of the Ishaku administration with that rating is that it did everything it did to transform the state in the most honest and transparent manner. It is, therefore, also a declaration that Gov Ishaku as a man of great integrity.
* Abu isSpecial Adviser to the Governor
(Media and Publicity)