{"id":446874,"date":"2011-06-24T08:03:11","date_gmt":"2011-06-24T08:03:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/06\/24\/new-dance-steps-in-taraba\/"},"modified":"2011-06-24T08:03:11","modified_gmt":"2011-06-24T08:03:11","slug":"new-dance-steps-in-taraba","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/06\/24\/new-dance-steps-in-taraba\/","title":{"rendered":"New Dance Steps in Taraba"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Leadership<\/a> (Abuja)<\/p>\n

Emmanuel Bello<\/p>\n

21 June 2011<\/p>\n

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opinion<\/p>\n

With this I hereby announce you as my commissioners. Please step outside this hall, pick your new cars and go straight away to your offices.”<\/p>\n

That was vintage Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai as he inaugurated his cabinet last Monday. And while the hall exploded in laughter and applause, the man’s face was stern, clearly telling us that he wasn’t kidding about the directives he just gave. It wasn’t time for partying. Work had started. So the 13 of us filed to the car park, picked our new rides and headed for our various ministries. The revolution had begun.<\/p>\n

Outside the hall (and all over Jalingo), everyone was applauding the choice of the governor for the ministries. “He has just got his team,” quipped one. Others latched onto the clich\u00e9 that it was “round pegs in round holes”. Generally, there was the hope that this was finally the blueprint needed to move the state forward in all facets of development. In fact, they attested that Suntai’s choice of commissioners is a clear indication of his mindset: the will to take Taraba to the next level.<\/p>\n

They are right. This is actually the cabinet that was literally made in the governor’s image. It appears he carefully consulted with his Maker who in turn guided him on what to do. In announcing the cabinet, he told his audience that “these are the men God has chosen for you all. They have the fear of God in their hearts and I’m satisfied in my heart that they would work for you all”. According to many onlookers, the new team is truly Suntai’s.<\/p>\n

It is common knowledge in Jalingo and the entire state that the governor had to, in the first tenure, grapple with a cabinet that wasn’t entirely of his making. What happened was that the former helmsman in the state played the godfatherism game and bequeathed to Suntai the kind of men he wanted as commissioners and for other offices. Suntai had little or no input, so goes the story. Although at a point Suntai had the power to throw off the excess baggage he was saddled with, he didn’t do so. Rather, playing it cool, he stooped to conquer. He found other ways to actualise his modest dream for the state even though he was working with some people who, more often than not, worked against his interest. He survived the plots and came out tops at last.<\/p>\n

Yet, even with those perceived Judases, Suntai was able to electrify Jalingo by providing state-of-the-art solar-powered street lights. He opened up roads in the state linking people. Then he established the first state university in Taraba. The federal government also followed this up by establishing one of the federal universities in the state at Wukari. Above all, the peace and security Suntai provided the people of Taraba stood out. Without mincing words, I say that Taraba is the model for peace and security. His quiet mien which casts him as a man of few words had an infectious effect. He restored discipline in governance and dealt a blow on thuggery. He re-engineered the civil service by providing the enabling environment for workers. Salaries were never delayed and arrears of gratuities were paid up. In the health area, he built many hospitals across the state, even as he ensured that the specialist hospital in Jalingo became a first-class medical facility.<\/p>\n

Tarabans expect more now. The talk of the town is that Governor Suntai now has the kind of team he needs for accelerated growth. On the day we were sworn I looked around me impulsively and couldn’t agree less with those who held to that position. On my right was the cerebral lawyer, G.T Kataps, who will handle the Ministry of Justice. Kataps has been there before and then went to the environment ministry where he made a mark. A suave and classy fellow, he cuts the image of a man at home with the nuances of law. Charity Jonathan is the highly academic don from Scotland who is in charge of the women ministry. A PhD student, she is adept in the issues of women’s rights and development studies all over the world. Her pedigree will come in handy as she takes Taraba women to another level.<\/p>\n

There is my good friend, Prince Hamman-Gabdo. He has been commissioner in the past and brings into his new position his proclivity for effectiveness. He is a man who knows how to get things done. The new commissioner of education, Yakubu Agbaizo, is a gentle giant. A man of huge frame, he has a sharp mind that works like a razor. He is well-positioned to revamp the fortune of the sector. I also looked at the new secretary to the state government, Ambassador Emmanuel Njiwa. His choice must have been informed by Suntai’s penchant for honesty, transparency and seriousness in the art of governance. Njiwa, a former envoy, has internalised the art of diplomacy. He is firm in a non-offensive way – an art he would need to work with the new team. The man who now heads the works ministry is a workaholic who has carved a niche for himself as a silent achiever. Jonah Agyo was the former SSG and thus understands the inner workings of power. He is set for his new role. All my colleagues, to summarise, are all effective hands propelled by a sense of mission.<\/p>\n

In my own case, I have been asked to go and work in the information, culture and tourism sector. Taraba State is clearly a tourist’s delight. When harnessed, the state can earn millions from it because tourism is a money-spinner the world over. Everyone is excited about the prospects of a tourism sector that is alive. Goodbye Obudu. Mambilla is “destination next”. As for the information sector, our hope is that we shall soon join the rest of the world in the new direction of the digital age. Hopefully, too, the Taraba Carnival – an upcoming event – will soon rival the other cultural fiestas across the country. Just watch out.<\/p>\n

Bello, commissioner for information, culture and tourism, Taraba State, sent this piece from Jalingo.<\/em><\/p>\n

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\nNew Dance Steps in Taraba<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Leadership (Abuja) Emmanuel Bello 21 June 2011 opinion With this I hereby announce you as my commissioners. Please step outside this hall, pick your new cars and go straight away to your offices.” That was vintage Governor Danbaba Danfulani Suntai as he inaugurated his cabinet last Monday. And while the hall exploded in laughter and applause, the man’s face was stern, clearly telling us that he wasn’t kidding about the directives he just gave<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-446874","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard"],"yoast_head":"\nNew Dance Steps in Taraba - Ghanamma.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/06\/24\/new-dance-steps-in-taraba\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"New Dance Steps in Taraba - Ghanamma.com\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Leadership (Abuja) Emmanuel Bello 21 June 2011 opinion With this I hereby announce you as my commissioners. 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