Taraba governor Ishaku abandons Jalingo, operates from Abuja

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Gov. Darius Ishaku of Taraba

Gov. Darius Ishaku: abandons his state and operates from Abuja, ruling his state by remote control

Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba state has been operating from Abuja for the past 55 days, dumping the capital Jalingo.

His last official outing in Jalingo was on December 19, 2019, when he presented the 2020 budget to the state House of Assembly.

Three days after, the governor left the state and has not returned.

According to Daily Trust, governance is suffering in the state as Ishaku did not transmit power to his deputy, Alhaji Haruna Manu. Only two executive council meetings, which ought to be a weekly affair, had been held since then. And no new projects are ongoing.

“He also did not transmit a letter to the state Assembly intimating the lawmakers of his absence”, the report said.

Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Taraba State, Barrister Ibrahim El-Sudi, said the absence of Governor Darius Ishaku from the state for 55 days without giving reasons or transferring power to his deputy was an impeachable offence.

“The governor left the state since December 22 last year and has not advanced reasons for his continued absence contrary to section 190 (1) of the constitution, which requires him to transmit a letter to the Speaker whenever he is going on vacation,” El-Sudi said.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the state insisted that the state is working despite the governor’s absence.

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Senior Special Assistant on Media Affairs to the governor, Mr Bala Dan Abu, said there is nothing wrong in the governor operating from the Federal capital.

‘‘Governor Darius is attending to important state matters in Abuja, while in Jalingo, all government activities are going on’’, he said.

Dan Abu said the governor signed into law the 2020 budget in Abuja and commissioners and permanent secretaries bring files to Abuja for the governor to sign. The deputy governor has also been coming to Abuja to consult with the governor, he said.

He further stated that the governor is within the country and as such there is no need for him to hand over to his deputy.

His stay in Abuja is in the interest of Taraba State,” he said.

On when the governor will return to Jalingo, Bala Dan Abu said no date has been fixed.

P.M.NEWS can confirm that several state governors are behaving like Ishaku, leaving their state for a long spell and operating from the Federal capital.

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