Gov. Kefas: Two Years Of Rising Expectations

By Isa Mohammed, PhD

On May 26 2023, I wrote a short piece titled “Setting the Agenda for Taraba’s Governor-Elect” as an open memo, I presented what should be priority areas for action that include Security, Inclusion, Leadership, Investment, Peace, and Education (SILIPE). It was a work for the Future Taraba Initiative discussion forum.

After he took office, Dr Agbu Kefas, the Executive Governor of Taraba State swung into action by facing insecurity head-on, forming a promising cabinet, and declared a state of emergency and later free education and vowed civil service reforms. In commemorating his first year in office in 2023, I wrote another article tagged “Kefas: One Year of Promise and Hope” that X-rayed the governor’s policy direction and described him as an incrementalist in decision-making.

The crisis of rising expectations refers to the political and social instability that can arise when a society’s aspirations for improved living conditions and opportunities exceed the capacity of its institutions and resources to deliver on those aspirations. Hence, we must judge between expectation and reality in governance.

The two years in office need a midterm scorecard for Governor Kefas to the people of Taraba. This piece aims to assess the two years by way of achievements and challenges and proffer the way forward.

In the last two years, what can we say that Governor Kefas has achieved? In an attempt to answer this question, we must either look at his manifesto of the 5-Points Moving Forward Agenda or develop our tool of policy analysis outside his promised targeted areas.

Using our yardstick, the policy approach of the Governor can be divided into two types; human development and infrastructural development. In this case, the governor prioritised the latter. Human development emphasises a holistic approach to development, considering various aspects of human well-being, including health, education, social security, and political freedoms. For instance, free education, payment of WAEC registration, freedom of expression without victimization, Taraba State Development Plan, improved salaries, and regular payment of pensions, among others. On the other hand, the infrastructural development is visibly lacking, with few exceptions of rehabilitation at Danbaba Airport, Jalingo, Palliative Market, School of Nursing and Mid-Wifery, Jalingo, TY Danjuma Government House, Jalingo and State Lodge, Abuja. Hence, the free education policy has achieved a lot by increasing the enrollment level of students by 61% as of 2024 (The Nation, 2024). Taking the out of school children off the street is commendable.

Expectedly, after one year, it might be more than that. However, it faces serious challenges in policy formulation, implementation, and output. The paucity of funds, lack of infrastructure, welfare and inadequate staff, and delay in the production of uniforms, shoes, books, and other materials. The fact is that even the entire Taraba State budget can not be enough to fund the education sector.
Governance and cabinet. The Taraba Executive Council was the most inclusive and dynamic, but the deliverables left much to be desired. The reasons may be inexperience, fear, and local politics. In the area of political aspect, Gov. Kefas’s policy on political thuggery is working. He has zero tolerance for thuggery. In general, Gov. Kefas coopted the opposition members in Taraba State through soft power and high-level politics.

Challenges of the Administration:

The first and the most disturbing problem the government inherits is insecurity. The activities of non-state actors such as kidnappers and bandits, community conflicts, resource conflicts by herders and farmers, and Tiv/Jukun conflict. These conflicts demand different approaches and peace-building strategies. The government should design a template for implementation based on early warning and early response model and inclusion of religious leaders.
Secondly, Gov. Kefas must also prioritise physical projects, especially legacy ones. A project that attracts attention is the beautification of Jalingo the State Capital. I can see that during the PDP Governor’s forum meeting and the TARAVEST, the government struggles with street lights, sanitation, and the serenity of Jalingo. To me, this would be the most important one because both Tarabans and outsiders might not visit all LGAs to see the governor’s developments.

Thirdly, accumulated debt is causing concerns for development. The N206B in 2023 and the N350B bond in 2025 for budget support. It indirectly affects development through debt servicing. Fourthly, data for evidence-based policy on the Social Security Register (SSR) for empowerment. Fifthly, appointments without responsibilities/payment for a large number of special assistants, etc. Sixth, local government autonomy is likely going to cause a fiscal problem. Lastly, there are information gaps. Public relations is not pursuing the public, while important matters remain in obscurity.

The Way Forward:

The most crucial problem is insecurity, which must be tackled from the bottom-top approach and sanctions. Gov. Kefas must juxtapose human and physical development as performance legitimacy for 2027. It is imperative to rejig the free education by assessing the impact of the policy. Food security is central to the survival, livelihood, and well-being of Tarabans.