Ishaku: My first term was foundation laying stage

Governor of Taraba State, Darius Ishaku, has described his first term in office as “a foundation laying stage,” saying he needs a second term to complete all that he started.

After a successful campaign tour of Southern Taraba -his political district, Ishaku stated at the weekend that he was confident of sweeping the gubernatorial poll on March 2.

The tour in southern Taraba took him to Ussa, Ibi, Wukari and Donga local government areas. He rounded up in Takum -his country home, where he told supporters he was thanking them ahead of the Election Day.

He said he knows the people would re-elect him, because anywhere he stopped over to campaign, the people gave him the assurance that he was their choice.

The rallies were done in open fields and in town-halls -in the form of meetings -to brainstorm on a strategy that would bring victory at the poll. Ishaku’s campaign team has adopted a strategy called: “Operation Win Your Polling Unit (OWYPU)” by all his influential stakeholders.

During the campaigns, the people expressed appreciations for the numerous projects the Ishaku administration has provided, drawing the governor’s attention to what they expect him to do during his second term, if he wins.

It was also an opportunity for the governor to talk about his achievements -the reason, he said, should be considered for him to return.

Ishaku told the people his “Rescue Mission” has been a success story that has put Taraba state on a path to sustainable development.”

“My rescue programme in education has raised WAEC performance of students in the state from below 20 percent in 2015 to 67.3 percent in 2017 and 75.3 percent in 2018.

“My water projects, which include the Jalingo Primary Water Source, was designed to meet the needs of the city till 2035.

“I sank 250 boreholes in 250 communities; I took safe drinking water to virtually all the communities in the state.”

Ishaku added that the construction of numerous township roads and highways  and the completion of the Jalingo Airport and launch of commercial flight have eased movement in and out of the state and as well encouraged the coming of investors.

“The main plank of the Rescue Mission in the health sector was the reconstruction and re-equipping of three general hospitals in Wukari, Gembu and Bambur with state of the art facilities. The Wukari hospital has been commissioned while the other two are soon to be completed.

“We created more than 10,000 jobs through the skills acquisition programme executed separately by me and my wife, under her Hope Afresh Foundation.

“We employed 3,000 teachers under the rescue teachers programme, revived seven government owned companies which when I took over, were in comatose.

“I urge you to see these achievements as just the foundation-laying stage of the services I intended to deliver to Taraba state.

“Reelect me so that the job I already started would be completed,” he said.