Taraba Facts

The Taraba state House of Assembly has commenced an investigation to verify the remittance of all forms of revenues meant for the state by federal agencies and other corporate bodies operating in the state. During plenary, presided over by Speaker, Abel Peter Diah, Monday, the House considered a motion under Matters of Urgent Public Importance, sponsored by Hosea Ibi, PDP, Takum 1, titled: The need to verify the remittance of all relevant taxes and other forms of revenues meant for the state by federal authorities and other corporate bodies operating in Taraba. According to the motion,  Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies and other corporate bodies operating in the state are statutorily required to remit ‘Pay As You Earn’ tax and other forms of taxes and revenue to the state government monthly’. Determined, therefore, to correct the existing inadequacies that may be found in the IGR process, it prayed  the House to; Direct a joint commit...

More than 400 delegates elected from 168 electoral wards in Taraba State under the umbrella of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), have rejected the decision of an Appeal Court sitting in Yola, dismissing its petition seeking to declare all candidates from Taraba selected in the 2015 Abuja primary election of the party illegal. The Appellate Court in Yola on Wednesday dismissed the Taraba PDP delegates appeal to declare all PDP candidates in the last election illegal and order a fresh primary election. Spokesperson of the PDP delegates and a delegate from Gassol local government area, Bala Ahmed said the judgment failed to returned delegates rights to lawfully elects candidates that will represent its party in an election. He maintained that PDP members in Taraba state were clearly and brazenly denied their right to elect candidates of their choice for the 2015 general election. He said several elections have been nullified based on irregular conduct of primary ele...

Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba has pledged to continue to support tea and rice farmers in the state in order to boost the production of the two crops. Ishaku made the pledge on Tuesday evening in Jalingo when he hosted Muslim faithful in the state to a Ramadan breaking of the fast. The governor told the people to embrace agriculture in order to change a situation where the state was completely dependent on the Federal Government for survival. “I have already promised President Muhammadu Buhari that Taraba will meet 10 per cent of national tea demand by December 2016 and we are committed to achieving that. “We have also committed resources to boost rice production and other crops in the state to improve the economy and feed the nation,” he said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that Ishaku recently inaugurated modern tea processing machines at the Kakara Tea Factory in Sardauna Local Government Area of the state. He also pr...

Taraba State governor, Darius Ishaku has said that his administration will not relent in the efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality in the state. Governor Darius Ishaku Ishaku, who stated this yesterday in Jalingo during the occasion of the flag-off ceremony for the maternal newborn and child health week said the state government has put in place clear-cut policies and programmes for the provision of maternal and child health care. “I am pleased to address this gathering on this occasion of the flag-off of the maternal and child health week, this is significant since it is concerned with the lives and wellbeing of mothers and children across the 16 local government areas of the state,” he said. Ishaku, who was represented by his deputy, Haruna Manu informed  that the service which is free will take place at designated health centres across the state. He called on parents to ensure that this year’s campaign records a higher turnout than the...

The commitment of the Taraba State Government to bridging the gap in the production of tomatoes in Nigeria has remained strong and would soon be actualized in the production of tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage and the Mambilla pepper all year round. With its Greenhouse Technological concept, the State Government has disclosed that it can constantly make these vegetables available in the market to consumers in Taraba, Adamawa, Bauchi and Benue States. It would be recalled that the State Governor, Arch. Darius Dickson Ishaku made this disclosure recently in Jalingo while inspecting some newly acquired materials for the Greenhouse project. There are many vegetable fruits recognised in Nigeria, but, Tomato, as a vegetable fruit is a major food component; an ingredient utilised by every household and consumed fresh as well as in paste form. It also constitutes the national food security programme. Records confirm that Nigeria produces approximately 1.8 million metric t...

The leadership of the Taraba State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has admonished those trying to create disaffection among members of the party to as a matter of urgency desist or face the wrath of the law. Reacting to a news item claiming that PDP in the state has been factionalized, the leadership of the party, beckoned on its teeming supporter to dispel the rumour as “ PDP in Taraba is intact and would continue to be one.” In a press statement made available to reporters yesterday morning in Jalingo, the state capital, the party chairman, Victor Bala Kona, said: “In view of this, the PDP hereby warn all person or group of persons who are parading themselves as PDP group in whatever name with the sole purpose of discrediting the party to immediately desist.” The statement which was signed by the state Publicity Secretary, Inuwa Bakari, said that the “ so called group seemingly lacks the ability to understand simple English as presented by the party chairman ...

For its inability to prove a case of criminal breach of trust against the former chairman of Gassol Local Government Council of Taraba state, Alhaji Illiyasu Goje, beyond reasonable doubt, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFFC) has suffered a major setback in court. Delivering judgment on the case, which has lingered for the past seven years, Justice Nuhu Adi of the Jalingo High Court, said he was left with no option than to “discharge and acquit the accused person.” In the one hour judgment, Adi, lamented that all the witnesses presented by the plaintiff could not prove to the court that the defendant breached the trust reposed on him by the public while serving as the council chairman. He stressed that the “accused person is not in any way linked with the exhibits” presented before the court, as the complainant failed to prove his case that the accused actually deserved to be punished following his alleged involvement in criminal breach of trust. The EFCC act...

The State Officer, Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme, Dr Markus Nzunde gave the statistics in an interview with Taravoices correspondent in his office at the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo. Tuberculosis or T.B as it is popularly called, is an airborne disease caused by bacteria and is spread from person to person. T.B usually affects Lungs but it can affect other parts of the body such as the brain, kidney or the spine and people with Tuberculosis can die if they do not get proper treatment. It is in the light of the above that Taravoices reporter visited the Taraba State Head Office of the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control programme, where the programme officer Dr. Markus Nzunde gave an update. Giving the statistics, Dr. Nzunde explained that  about 3000 cases of T.B were recorded and confirmed in Taraba state last  year and over 700 new cases  have also being reported and confirmed between January and March, 2016 which is quite disheartening. He en...

Farmers  in Taraba State have called on the state government to subsidize farm inputs to enable massive food production this season.Reports Daily Trust.  The call was made by the chairman of the All Farmers Association in the state, Mr. Biam  Maman, during an interview in Jalingo. He said the call  became  necessary in view of high cost of farm inputs such as fertilizer, pest chemicals and the cost of hiring tractors. Acording to him,most farmers especially small scale farmers could not  afford to buy  the inputs, a development, he said, will reduce crop production in the state. - 

The Taraba State government has released the sum of N600 million for the payment of salary arrears of primary school teachers in the state. Chief Press Secretary to Governor Darius Ishaku, Mallam Hassan Mijinyawa, disclosed this to Daily Trust in an interview. He said the state government owed teachers three months’ salaries, leading to a strike action by teachers. He said the strike ended after the money was released as agreed with the teachers. Chairman of the State Primary Education Board, Mr. Yakubu Agwaizo, has confirmed release of the money and commended the government.

By Tunji Balogun . Taraba United FC players during their protest last year Players of Nigeria National League (NNL) side, Taraba United FC are set to boycott all matches of the club except they receive the backlog of salaries and allowances the State Government owes them. Saharareporterssport.com   exclusively gathered from a source close to the team in Taraba that the players are unwilling to rescind their decision until the government and the management of the club look into their plight by offsetting the previous months’ salaries they owe them. “The players are currently on strike due to non-payment of their salaries. As I speak the players did not train on Tuesday (today), and they have decided not to honour any league matches until they money is being paid. Because of this issue, the management of the club have even suspended two of their registered players this season,” the source exclusively told saharareporterssport.com   on Tuesday. The club was...

The secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, Tony Suleiman, and the chairman of the party in Sardauna Local Government Area, Yusuf Tanimu, have decamped to the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The politicians made their intentions known at an elaborate occasion that took place on Tuesday at the PDP state secretariat in Jalingo, the state capital. Messrs Suleiman and Tanimu said their decision to dump APC was based on their perception that “the APC of the day is not in the interest of Taraba State”. “As if it is not enough that the leadership of the APC here in Taraba State is bereft of ideas, they have resorted to the petty politics of sidelining members, lack of inclusiveness and abandonment of the few supporters that had their backing and even gave their all to bring the party to its present stage,” they said. “It is against this backdrop that we had to resign and switch tents. We hereby call on all our supporters to join hands with us as we...

Jolly Name The trial of former governor of Taraba, Jolly Nyame, was stalled on Monday in an FCT High Court Gudu, due to the absence of EFCC prosecution witness. The prosecution was to produce its witness in court to testify against the ex-governor. Nyame, who is facing trial on a 41-count charge of money laundering, criminal breach of trust and gratification of N1.64bn Taraba fund was present in court. Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), counsel to the EFCC told the court that he could not get in contact with his witnesses due to the fact that they changed their addresses. Jacobs, however, promised the court that on the next adjourned date, he will appear with his witnesses. “These witnesses are no longer with the Commission, that’s what makes it difficult to contact them.’’ He said he shall contact the Commission’s chairman in order to facilitate the process. Mr Ahmed Yusuf, the defence counsel asked the court for a date for the next hearing after the court’s vacation. Speaking to the News Ag...