The forum said Ishaku is committed to the security of lives and property as demonstrated by the government’s embarking on development projects towards peace and harmony.
A statement by MBF’s National President, Dr. Pogu Bitrus, reads: “The attention of Middle Belt Forum has been drawn to concerns expressed in some quarters over Governor’s Darius Ishaku’s absence from the state. While some have alleged that such absence can negatively affect running of the state, others argued that it could lead to resurgence of violence.
“Considering his performance profile, Taraba has continued to enjoy relative peace and development despite intermittent outburst of violence that is not peculiar to the state. Despite incessant attempts by certain forces to destabilise some states of the Middle Belt, including Taraba, Ishaku has remained committed to ensuring continued service, safety and development for his people.
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“The concerns over the governor’s seeming absence, and linking same to a possible resurgence of violence in the state, should be a wake-up call on security personnel, as there may be certain forces plotting to cause a breakdown of law and order. There are many states in Nigeria that have come under unmitigated attacks even when their governors were perpetually on their seats.
“Governor Ishaku’s brief absence has neither led to the abandonment of any key projects nor impacted negatively on governance. The civil service and other arms of government have not suffered in any way on account of Ishaku’s perceived absence.”
MBF urged the people to support the governor and shun ‘baseless rumours’ aimed at engendering negative perceptions and unnecessary concerns over perceived the governor’s perceived absence.
“As a forum, we praise the devoutness of Governor Ishaku in working for the good of the state. Vital projects critical for development are going on uninterruptedly. The brief absence of Ishaku in Jalingo has not stalled the development of projects or caused a delay in the payment of salaries or execution of projects,” the forum added.
