Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, has acknowledged that despite the state’s 35 years of existence, its leaders cannot claim to have solved all the challenges confronting it.
Taraba State was created on August 27, 1991, by the then Nigerian Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (Rtrd).
The governor stated this while addressing the media on the occasion of Taraba at 35, saying successive administrations could not claim to have addressed every problem facing the state.
“The problems in Taraba are many, including the absence of basic infrastructure, among others.
“There are many communities that are yet to be provided with reliable water supply. There are also many communities that are yet to be provided with electricity, while the education and healthcare systems still need attention,” he said.
Kefas further stated that many young people were still seeking employment, while several families continued to face economic hardship in the state.
He said some projects embarked upon by the state government might experience delays in completion, stressing the need to identify the causes of such delays and address them to ensure that the projects were completed for the benefit of the people.
Kefas also revealed that his administration inherited serious challenges when it assumed office in 2023, but said such challenges could not continue to serve as an excuse for failure.
“We are building good systems,
we are building institutions,
we are developing frameworks,
and the next phase must be about accelerated and measurable execution,” he said.
Kefas, however, encouraged the people of the state to scrutinise government spending constructively, saying this would help ensure that those entrusted with responsibilities remained accountable.
“We are not afraid of scrutiny because the media must ask questions.
“Civil society must ask questions and the citizens must also ask questions.
“The opposition has a constitutional responsibility to question government, but criticism should be constructive and useful and should be based on facts,” he said.
Governor Kefas also said the government had a responsibility to provide information on its activities, encouraging citizens to visit project sites to see firsthand the progress being made.
