By Wole Ayodele in Jalingo
A group of Lawyers in Taraba State have charged Taraba state governor, Darius Ishaku to concentrate his energy and resources accruing to the state in developing it rather than meddling in chieftaincy and issues and frivolities.
The lawyers, under the auspices of Minute Lawyers Association expressed dissatisfaction with what they referred to as the way and manner the governor has been “dabbling into traditional issues that has no direct correlation with governance instead of dissipating energy on making lives more bearable and meaningful for the teeming masses of the state.”
Addressing a press conference in Jalingo yesterday, President of the Association, Barr Aiden A Anthony Esq. accused governor Ishaku of directing the Pkanti Zing who is the Mumuye monarch, Alhaji Suleiman Ibrahim not to turban Mr Godwin Nyame as Tafida of Zing based on his intention to contest for the governorship of the state in 2019.
Nyame, younger brother of former governor of the state, Rev Jolly Nyame who has declared his intention to contest the gubernatorial election in 2019 on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed optimism that he would unseat Ishaku.
Anthony berated Ishaku for allegedly putting pressure on the monarch to exclude Nyame from being turbaned along with others on the eve of the coronation ceremony, saying the Kpanti Zing conferred the chieftaincy title on him on merit based his contributions to the development of Mumuye land adding that Nyame does not need the traditional title to be elected governor.
Condemning Ishaku for arbitrarily slashing the salaries of workers in the state particularly Legal Officers and Magistrates whose salaries are enshrined in Magistrates and Law Officers Harmonization Law of 2007 by 50%, Anthony stated: “It is disheartening and worrisome that a sitting governor who had sworn on oath to uphold and preserve the law of the land will act with such impunity and treat our laws with disdain.”
Stressing that the governor has allowed the people of the state to languish in penury and abject poverty, the Association tasked the governor to borrow a leaf from his Adamawa State counterpart who is paying salaries and at the same time carrying out massive infrastructural development projects that are visible in every nooks and crannies of Adamawa State.
“Despite the huge resources accruing to Taraba State from the federation account and internally generated revenue, Ishaku has failed to utilize same in improving the lives and conditions of the citizens of the state.”
Meanwhile, Ishaku has debunked allegations of dabbling into chieftaincy and traditional matters at the expense of providing purposeful leadership for the people of the state.
