Taraba: Critiquing Bwacha’s case for power shift

Not that it was the first time the University of Jos Law graduate had made the case but this one is coming at the heels of the power crisis currently rocking Taraba. And although the event was one in which politicians traditionally harp on their “contribution to growth and their stewardship”, and distribute the hackneyed […]

Not that it was the first time the University of Jos Law graduate had made the case but this one is coming at the heels of the power crisis currently rocking Taraba. And although the event was one in which politicians traditionally harp on their “contribution to growth and their stewardship”, and distribute the hackneyed “dividends of democracy”, it ended up a day of declaration of sorts. Everyone at the venue of the event- the expansive compound of the primary school in Mararraba, Donga local government, where Bwacha schooled decades back-was conscious of the moment. No one was in doubt that the man on the podium was unarguably the leader of the zone and that he was passionate about the issues he was expounding on.  
Bwacha began his address with the issue of constituency projects. The cerebral legislator took the matter to another level by divesting the concept from its traditional mould. Before now everyone had thought senators and all lawmakers get sizeable funds for executing projects in the constituencies. Bwacha said that was an error of perception on the part of the electorate.  But a bigger error, according to Bwacha, is that of lawmakers themselves who like to give the impression that the projects in their communities are from their personal pockets. Bwacha would have none of the self glorification! He even warned that such politicians should stop, as it were, stealing the government’ s glory, stressing that the constituency projects are actually programs and efforts of the ruling government. His words: “Let me seize this opportunity to clear the erroneous misconception that senators get sizeable amount of funds for executing constituency projects. There is no such thing anywhere. Most of our modest efforts at bringing development to our people are largely attributed to the synergy between the executive and our chambers.
The credit for such federal presence should therefore go to the PDP led federal government under President Goodluck Jonathan.   …Indeed, no one should steal the president’s glory!”  His audience easily warmed up to such candour. In the past, senators would regale gullible audience with all sort of super human effort of theirs at representing the people. One former senator was almost comical in the way he tries to position himself as the best thing to happen to his people of southern Taraba. But folks from these parts are no longer easily taken for a ride and they now pass the verdict themselves on the issue of performance: let the record speak for themselves is the new thinking!
But Bwacha, the deft politician that he is, is not unaware of the need to also give an account of what he was doing in Abuja. So apart from the town hall meetings which he holds quarterly, he ensures that there is an interchange of ideas on how best to address the crises of the people.   Most of the crises are those of employment and school fees among other challenges constituents in developing economies face daily.
He has thus established a scholarship fund which deals with school fees challenge on a periodic basis. On the issue of employment, Bwacha said that it among the intangible activities he carries out at the hallowed chamber because by building synergy with other senators and lawmakers, he gets to know the opportunities that abound and get the slot for his people.
However the highlight of the event was the declaration Bwacha made on power shift. Again, it bears repeating here. According to him, “My stewardship to the southern senatorial zone would be incomplete without advancing and protecting the political aspiration of our people. That is why I have taken it upon me, despite the misrepresentations to continue to call for power shift to this zone come 2015. By the grace of God, the next governor of Taraba State in 2015 would come from Taraba South. And it doesn’t matter what tribe or religion he or she belongs, the bottom line is that power shift to this zone is non-negotiable. For the men and women from this zone who go to collect fees from their pay masters to antagonize this dream,
I hereby announce that they are strictly on their own. The political feeling for all peoples from southern Taraba is that power should shift in 2015.   Nothing could be more apt than that.

Bello, is a former com-missioner of information, Taraba State, wrote from Jalingo