There are high expectations as Taraba State governor Dr Agbu Kefas inaugurated his team of commissioners he described as technocrats.
The governor’s team of 22 commissioners is dominated by youths, only seven out of the cabinet members were found to be close to the age of 50 years, even as the team also has seven women.
The governor during the inauguration stated that all the commissioners before their appointment have shown exceptional skills in their professional fields and have also proven their leadership abilities and therefore expressed confidence that the commissioners would bring their unique insight to the table and contribute to the growth of the state.
Unlike the trend in the past where commissioners were appointed based on number of votes delivered, all the 22 commissioners were said to have outstanding academic qualifications with unquestionable results. This was confirmed by the deputy speaker, Taraba State House of Assembly, Alhaji Haman Adama during their screening at the floor of the House.
The major opposition political party in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) in its reaction urged the governor to provide funds for the ministries through the commissioners to implement meaningful projects that would have direct impact on the citizens.
APC also urged the governor to quickly deploy development to the areas of deficiency such as education, agriculture and security.
The spokesperson of APC in Taraba State, Mr Aeron Atimas while reacting to the expectations from the governor’s cabinet said it is not enough to declare free education in the state, saying the best thing is to follow it up with funding.
“What about the facilities in the schools, what about running cost for the school management, let him include their running cost in the monthly Joint Account of the state, because school fees are declared free while there are no good facilities and conducive environment for the students to learn, it amounts to waste of resources for the government.
“His policy statements shortly after his inauguration as the governor of Taraba State raised so many hopes both from the poor and the rich, we are waiting to see how he is going to follow up with actions, all we can advise is that funding is key and can never be overemphasized,” he said.
The APC also called on the young commissioners not to be distracted by the fancy cars and conducive office accommodations the government might provide for them but also go all out to follow up projects initiated by the government to completion in order to write their names in the good history of the state.
Leadership