Former members of the Taraba State House of Assembly have made known their grievances at the alleged failure of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the state government to carry them along in decision making.
According to reports, atleast 72 members of the party trooped to the state secretariat located along Barde way in Jalingo, the state capital, to make known their feelings to the party leadership at the way and manner some of them have been relegated to the background despite their massive contributions to the growth of the party.
The aggrieved former lawmakers led by the former member representing Karim-Lamido I Constituency, Oliver Suleiman, said they are avidly ready to work for the success of the party, hence the need for the party to extend the much desired hands of friendship to all of them.
Although some of the members are still in the good books of the party as they have been feted with various appointments, the need for such gestures to be extended to the entire members, they believed has become necessary.
The ex-lawmakers, through their spokesman, said they were in the party’s secretariat with the aim of interacting with the party’s leadership on how to build, reposition and move the party and the state at large forward.
Expressing their willingness to serve whenever the party deemed it necessary to assign them responsibilities or tasks to execute, carrying them along, they believed, will afford them the opportunity to work tirelessly round the clock for the success of the party come next political dispensation.
Also speaking both the former member representing Lau, Irmiya Hammanjulde, who is the incumbent Commissioner of Works, and the former member representing Wukari two, Daniel Ishaya Gani, who also had been engaged as Special Adviser to Governor Darius Dickson Ishaku, pleaded with the party to endeavour to tread extra legitimate paths to engage colleagues in all future activities.
Stressing that their wealth of experience will be brought to bear if given the opportunity, the dream of the party to emerge victorious in the forthcoming polls, they believed would no doubt be actualized.
Describing the former members as the “best set of people who are willing to work for the success of the party ” the party state chairman, Kefas Agbu, lauded their efforts for not only identifying with the party, but avidly interested to work hand in hand with the party’s leadership.
Agbu, who also reiterated the determination of the party to carry every member along irrespective of tribe and religious affiliations, said the “use and dump” syndrome in Taraba politics will no longer be entertained.
While commending the forum for bringing all the former members of the State House of Assembly under one umbrella “for the purposes of moving our state forward,” he encouraged them to endeavour to make the party active in the local government councils and wards.