The Acting Governor of Taraba, Alhaji Garba Umar, has expressed his confidence in the ability of the new leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, led by Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, to see to the return of defectors back to the ruling party.
Umar made this known in a parley with reporters in Jalingo, the state capital on Saturday.
“Ahmed Muazu is active and he wants his people to return to PDP. I believe he will achieve this and win back most if not all defectors before the next general elections”, Umar said.
He said Taraba remained peaceful in the region because the PDP brought all the stakeholders to dialogue and enlightened the people on the need for development through peaceful co-existence.
“We achieved peace in Taraba today through dialogue. We brought together major stakeholders: emirs, chiefs, clergymen to enlighten and talk to the people that destruction of lives and property was affecting our development and advancement.
“Initially, there was the Tiv-Fulani clash but with dialogue, we convinced them and today, they expose intruders whose purpose is to foment trouble”, he said.
The acting governor said the state government was expanding its tourism potentials through the construction of roads and increasing electricity supply.
“The state recently acquired two airplanes for the domestic airport which would soon be opened to the public as the 2.4-kilometer runway was being extended to 3.5 kilometers under NCAA standards”, he added.
Umar noted that under the SURE-P programme the state government had empowered 8,600 youth and women in 2013 year with various tools of trade.
“This month, we will empower 5,000 and by year end, we aim to empower 30,000 altogether”, he added.