By KATO P. LADAN, Kaduna
A group under the auspices of Tiv Concerned Youth in a press statement, fingered the executive Governor of Taraba State, Architect Ishaku Darius for not only targeting Tiv ethnic nationality in the state, but extending his ethnic cleansing agenda to other tribes.
The group in the statement signed by its Secretary, Teseer Andrew Aandookar said the Governor has made his mission clear on the recent committee he constituted to investigate the immediate past Provost of Taraba State Polytechnic, Mr Daniel Mom.
According to the group, the investigation panel was asked to check how the administration of Daniel Mom runs the affairs of the school while on acting capacity as Rector for four years after 23 years of the school existence before his assumption into office.
The group reiterated that they were not only agitating for the exclusion of Tivs and other tribes but concerned indigenes of Taraba that yearn for equality for all people in the state irrespective of tribe or religion.
They queried the composition of the seven-man committee to have many members as Jukun despite having high profile Tiv people in the government.
They said it is a deliberate move to ensure that Daniel Mom who is of the Tiv extraction is nailed at all costs for being the best Rector and a Tiv by tribe, who are perceived enemies of Jukun, the Governor’s tribe.
“How can a Tiv man get justice in a Jukun dominant committee or in a Jukun perceived court? This is the question that has been and begging for answers in the Darius kangaroo committee which is paying lip service to it.” They said.
The group further called the attention of Governor Darius to know that the administration of Daniel Mom remains the best in the history of Taraba State Polytechnic who served on a four years acting capacity without him being confirmed, but left office blameless with visible achievements in his name as follows:
“23 three years ago before the coming of Daniel, in concrete terms, no achievements whatsoever were recorded, but Daniel’s tenure was behind the jack-up of internally generated revenue (IGR) which was below 50 million Naira to over 100 million Naira. A hundred per cent IGR of the school.
“His administration installed solar electricity panels to academic blocks and classrooms for study to cut down expenses incurred from the electricity company. In 23 years, no single course was introduced to the school system, but Mom introduced three more courses, and five other more are being accredited, during his time, resident doctors were employed and laboratories provided for many departments like mathematics, physics and electrical engineering were equipped and rehabilitated.
They said Mom constructed a well-equipped computer centre also purchased vehicles for the institution’s use.
“If not hatred for Tivs and other ethnic nationalities in the state, why should the Governor not celebrate and salute this great man but rather set up a committee to witchhunt him?
“This committee is set up for an agenda and the agenda is only one, to clean up all tribes that are not in good light with the Jukuns.
“The Governor has failed the people of Taraba with his unproductive administration, a regime that does not value education and not geared towards development, he should come out and tell us a single achievement of his five years in office.
“Since 2015 to date, no single project this government has commissioned, only to enslave the state with undue loans that even our third generation children cannot be able to offset it. We are regretting voting in this man.
“28th February 2020 alone the state House of Assembly has approved 35 billion Naira for road realisation, up to now, nothing tangible is being seen. Who is fooling who? If he knows he is clean, why not also set up a committee to investigate all these loans procurement which do not follow due process and no visible results to that effect?
“No wonder Taraba is stagnant and backward state in terms of development,because the man running the affairs the state’s affairs is after personal enrichment and using his office and tribe against each other to be enemies.
” We are calling on EFCC to visit Taraba because there is serious corruption going on in the state under the watch of the Governor.
They also said Governor Darius only constituted an investigation committee for the period of Daniel’s administration characterised with developmental and great innovation has indeed turned himself an arch-enemy of education, Tivs and other tribes who do not fancy his administration.
They further said that if Governor Darius is not after Tivs, he should also constitute committee(s) of such magnitude of all tertiary institutions in the state, not just the polytechnic alone.
“Our people are being killed and rendered homeless by your kinsmen in Southern Taraba where the strides of your government should be felt but stoops low to witch-hunt an innocent man who is seen a hero to have revived the ailing institution.
“Mr Daniel Mom was the first Tiv man to be appointed Rector in the polytechnic and performed well but despite all these achievements of his, is now being targeted a bad Man because is from Tiv extraction.”
They are calling on concerned people in and outside Taraba, most especially President Mohammadu Buhari to save Tivs and other tribes in the claws of Governor Darius who does not mean well to them as their fate is not certain of what it will become of them in the near future.
Governor Darius’ Senior aide on Media and Communications, Mr Bala Dan Abu when contacted was not picking up his phone after many calls put through.
But a close ally of the government who is an ardent supporter of Governor Darius who pleaded his name should not be mentioned said the group is a distraction to the Governor’s good motive in working for Taraba State, especially the education sector set as one of his cardinal agendas to revive.
He condemned the position of the group’s wrong feelings about Arch Darius who is being loved by all people of the state and appreciating his kind of leadership.
He said the constituted committee is not witchhunting anybody but aims to do the needful for the school and the people of the state.
“People have a right to say whatever they want to say, but government must always do what is right for the generality of people they are serving.
“We are much comfortable with the leadership of Darius. Those complaining are probably the problem of the state, but I’m asking them to embrace peace, unity and progress of the state in all they do.” He said.
