A group has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has perfected plans to make Taraba state ungovernable for the winner of the recent celebrated Supreme Court verdict, Governor Darius Ishaku.
In a statement signed by the group’s coordinator, Israel Ndatse, the group called G-16 said the security agencies in the state ought to wake up and confront the emerging scenario in the state. G-16, which claims to be an umbrella body of democrats from the 16 local councils in the state, noted further the APC is not taking its defeat lightly.
It says “as democrats we are shocked that the APC did not even congratulate the governor after the Supreme Court verdict in the spirit of brotherliness and good sportsmanship. Rather, a statement emerging from the APC camp recently alluded that the party would perpetually “keep the governor on his toes.
“What do they mean by that? And when they said they would continue their struggle to emancipate Taraba, what do they mean? Is Taraba in any bondage? Are they not the ones who wanted to drag Taraba 100 years backward? Is it not Governor Darius that is now trying hard to rescue the state?
“We don’t find such statements funny or take them as mere prattling of a wailing loser. We believe the party is simply plotting to make Taraba ungovernable. This tactics is a common one. This was how Atiku once said Jonathan would not sleep well at the Villa. Before you knew it, the Boko Haram insurgency went into full throttle and started consuming everyone. ”
The statement continued that the recent invasion of the state by militias forces is another indication of the APC plans to make the state difficult to govern. It said “since the victory of Governor Darius, we have noticed an increase in the influx of strange looking militia into the state. There have been kidnappings and all sorts of violent attacks on innocent citizens.
These attacks are clearly coordinated and designed to frustrate the governor’s efforts at fostering peace and unity. Already, almost the entire Central zone is getting heated with the Fulani attacks. Never a day goes by without hearing of one case or the other, more so now that the governor wants to consolidate on all his efforts.
Another plan of the party is to continue to encourage ethno religious diversity through the sponsoring of hate speeches and slanted sermons in places of worship. The plot is to continue to castigate and interrogate the motives of government in its appointments and other public functions. The main objective of this is to continue to deepen disaffections that may lead to a breakdown of law and order. We urge the security apparatus in the state to step up its game. This can be done through unrelenting periodic and round the clock surveillance, improved intelligence, sting operations, and a robust Information gathering system put in place. Right now, we don’t feel the security agencies in Taraba are taking these measures.
“We are also aware that the Darius administration would soon come under heavy artillery of media attacks sponsored by the opposition to cast aspersion on the work of the governor. This is to alert the public to take with a pinch of salt any APC-inspired criticism. The government would of course welcome any constructive and genuine criticism based on verifiable truth. But any crusade to paint the administration black deliberately shall be reasonably resisted. We are therefore calling on all our supporters to beware of such media attacks that would soon be unfolding. The government, we can assure all, would be furnishing us with details of its activities through various periodic platforms. After all, APC doesn’t have a monopoly of the mass media, “the statement said.
