Taraba residents decry substandard drainage work on Jalingo streets

 

By Godwin Agia, Jalingo 

The residents of Taraba state have decried what they described as "substandard" drainage work on Jalingo streets by the governor Agbu Kefas administration.

A resident, Mr Henry Musa, who resides in the Angwan-Kassa area of Jalingo, expressed fear that the substandard job being carried out by the contractor may attract flood during the rainy period.

Mr John Yohana of Roadblock and Kefas Kaigama of Investment Quarters, appealed to Governor Agbu Kefas to either revoke or compel the contractor of the project to ensure quality work.

The residents spoke to our correspondent on Friday in Jalingo.

They both alleged that the contractor was using empty, substandard cement blocks with uan nrich mixture, without iron rods.

"The ongoing drainage work on the Jalingo streets is not of a quality to last up to a year. We want Governor Kefas to direct the contractor to ensure quality work.

"The work being done so far may attract flooding in Jalingo during the rainy period. There is every possibility that the work done can not survive the water flow of the state capital.

"The contractor is using substandard cement blocks with an unrich mixture without iron rods. These blocks would be vulnerable, and liable to collapse just within a period of a year during the rainy season". The residents queried"

They described the development as total negligence to the service of humanity, calling on Governor Agbu Kefas to be sensitive to the impending damages the poor drainage work may pose to Jalingo.

UNICEF, Taraba Health Agency Mobilize Communities Ahead of Polio Campaign

 

By Thomas Samuel 

Taraba State Primary Healthcare Development Agency has announced the commencement of polio vaccination in the state.

During a media engagement meeting held on Thursday in Jalingo, the representative of the Agency, Nafiu Umar, who is the Head of the State Emergency Routine Immunization Coordination Centre (SERIC), announced that the polio vaccination campaign is slated for the 13th to the 16th of this month.

He appreciated journalists and other influencers who made the last round of Rubella vaccination exercise in the state a success.

Similarly, the representative of UNICEF in Taraba State, Jennifer Dabo, said the last round of the vaccination campaign had a massive turnout, which she added was the first of its kind.

She said the record would not have been possible without the support of the team and appealed that the same effort be put into sensitizing the public on the forthcoming polio campaign.

In his presentation, Doctor Tamo Yaro said the vaccination campaign will target children from age 0–5 years for polio, while other integrated components of the vaccination will capture children from age 0–23 months.

He advised parents to disclose the present health conditions of their children to the vaccination team, as kids with underlying health challenges would not be vaccinated.

During the engagement meeting, the Public Relations Officer of the Agency, Victoria Danbaba, emphasized the importance of countering myths around vaccination acceptance.

She said while polio vaccination has gained global acceptance, there are communities that still have reservations about it, and it is important to enlighten them.

Nigeria was certified free of wild poliovirus in August 2020; however, outbreaks of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus (cVDPV) continue to occur in some states due to low routine immunization coverage. 

Ongoing vaccination campaigns—including the one in Taraba—remain crucial to sustaining polio-free status and preventing new outbreaks.

CSOs Unite to Train Stakeholders on Conflict Mitigation Initiative in Taraba

 

By Godwin Agia 

The Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Research and Action for Peace Network (REcAP Network) in collaboration with WANEP- Nigeria, have on Wednesday commenced a 3-day workshop on conflict prevention and peacebuilding with the aim of promoting peace and stability in the region.

Mr Emmanuel Ami-Okhani, staff of West Africa Network for Peacebuilding, WANEP- Nigeria, noted during the programme in Jalingo that the initiative aims to build the capacity of civil society organisations in Nigeria, West Africa and strengthen their role in promoting peace and stability across the region.

The training workshop, themed ‘Conflict Prevention, Violent Extremism, Crisis Management and Peacebuilding’ brought together key stakeholders to discuss strategies for mitigating conflicts in Taraba State.

Emmanuel Ami-Okhani, who is one of the resource persons, emphasised the importance of collective responsibility in promoting peace among communities, stressed that individuals and institutions must play their part in fostering understanding and tolerance.

Ami-Okhani highlighted the crucial role of peace promotion in Taraba, noting that it remains essential for the state's development and prosperity.

"We are here implementing a project called Research and Action Network for Peace (REcAP). The project is funded by the European Union and implemented in 18 countries, including Nigeria.

"The purpose is to strengthen the capacity of local actors to conduct crisis management, conflict prevention, mediation, and peacebuilding. For the northeast, we are focusing on Taraba State today.

"The project seeks to establish a sustainable network of experts specialised in peacebuilding, conflict prevention, and violent extremism in West Africa and the Lake Chad Basin, including Nigeria," he said.

Speaking earlier, Boniface Koson, State Coordinator for WANEP-Nigeria, explained that the workshop's objective is to build capacity for civil society actors, women, and youth groups on conflict prevention, violent extremism, crisis management and peacebuilding.

Participants at the workshop also took turns and shared their views on ways to mitigate crises in Taraba, including farmer-herder clashes and ethnic and religious tensions. 

Those who contributed to the discussion included Rev Fr Odinaka Chukwu, State Chairman of the Dawaki Disability Development Initiative, Mallam Sadiq Muhammed, Dr Jennifer Uniga, and Mikin Yonana, the State Programme Officer of ACOMIN.