Mass Rejection Trails Gov Kefas’ Appointments

There has been a massive rejection of appointments recently offered by the Taraba State government to some indigenes to serve as special advisers, senior special assistants, special assistants, constituency special assistants, and community special assistants and to serve on boards, commissions, and agencies of Taraba State.

Taraba State governor Agbu Kefas, through the office of secretary to the government of the state (SGS) Barr. Gibon Kataps had, in the past three months, offered political appointments to 1072 persons across the sixteen local government areas of the state to serve as aides, board members, and heads of agencies and parastatals under his administration.

The appointments were done after one year and two months of the governor in office.

Three months after not being given appointment letters or inaugurated, some of the appointees have started rejecting the offer. Some accuse the governor of playing games with their political careers, while others cite a lack of sincerity in the offer.

The immediate past secretary to Taraba State government under the administration of former Governor Darius Ishaku, Mr Anthony Jellason who is one of those that rejected the appointments told our correspondent that he is not aware if he was offered any appointment.

Also, the gubernatorial aspirant under the platform of the People’s Democracy Party (PDP) in the 2023 general election in Taraba State, Prof. Jerome Nyameh, whose name was on the list of appointees, told our correspondent that appointments are not made on social media, claiming that the governor did not offer him an appointment.

“I am not aware of any appointment from Governor Kefas. I know the procedure of offering appointments to an individual. I have not been given any letter to indicate that I am an appointee of the Taraba state government. I only saw people saying it on social media for the past three months. I am on my farm, and that is what I know,” he stated.

“Am not aware if the governor has given appointment to me, we are in a civilized society, I have not heard on the radio nor television that am offered appointment, nobody from the government called to intimate me that am offered appointment, no letter was offered to me, as far as am concern, I don’t know if there is any appointment offered to me, people told me they saw it on the social media,” Prof Nyame added.

Although former speaker Taraba State House of Assembly Hon Joseph Albasu Kunini who was listed among the 1072 appointees did not pick his phone to confirm his position, his close aide who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said his boss has also rejected the appointment.

Our correspondent gathered that several others on the list including former commissioner for information in the state Barr. Danjuma Adamu, Mr. Zick Sunday, and Simon Dugeri who are staunch members of the PDP in the state have rejected the offer.

The special adviser to the governor on media and digital communications Hon Emmanuel Bello did not respond when contacted over the development.