Burkutu, a popular brew in the state, is primarily made from millet.
ByChuwang Dungs
July 17, 2023
Reading Time: 3 mins read
Makers of a local brew, popularly known as burkutu, in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, on Monday began a strike due to the increasing prices of millet and firewood.
Burkutu, a popular brew in the state, is primarily made from millet.
An association of local brew sellers said the cost of millet and firewood used in the brewing business had skyrocketed beyond what their members could afford.
The brew makers are appealing to the government to intervene to reduce the high cost of the basic ingredient needed for the product.
Naomi Bature, a popular brewer in the state, said their members are incurring losses” due to the continuous increase of millet and firewood.
" A bag of millet that used to cost about N20 thousand is over N45 thousand now, apart from the cost of transportation and the price of firewood has also tripled,” she said.
“Since the increase in fuel price everything has gone up; we tried adjusting the price of our drink; our customers are complaining, so doing business in such a condition is not profitable, considering the stress.
“Burkutu is a cultural drink and one of the healthy and cheapest alcoholic drinks that anyone can afford, and many women are feeding and training their families through the business; we appealed to the government to intervene to safe lives,” she said.
She said they decided to withdraw their services to draw the government’s attention to their plight, saying they are hopeful that the state government will assist them in regulating the activities of marketers that take advantage of government policies to exploit buyers.
“With the subsidy removal and increase in fuel price, we are also appealing to the government to give us a loan to enable us to sustain our business.
“We learnt that government will soon start giving out palliative, and we need this palliative to sustain our business to enable us to train our children.
Mr Bature further appealed to their customers “not to feel bad” over their actions, noting that withdrawing their service is the only way they can draw the government and the public’s attention to their plight.
Customers reactions
When our reporter visited some local liquor joints in Mile 6 at about 7:30 a.m., he met a group of men who arrived very early expecting to buy the drink, saying they thought the strike issue was a “mere joke.”
One of the men, Musa Major, told PREMIUM TIMES that “This is a joke taken too far; how do these sellers expect us to survive as the majority of us labourers depend on the drink for energy before going to work.”
He appealed to the burkutu sellers to reverse their decision, even if it meant reviewing the price.
Baba Mazing, another man at the bar, said that as much as they are not happy over the high cost of grains in the market, they see the strike as “disastrous.”
Burkutu is nutritious and special-consumers.
In Taraba State, burkutu is popular among the residents.
Some brew consumers take it in the morning before eating or embarking on their daily routine.
Before the sharp rise in the cost of millet, a four-litre bucket was N400, but it now goes for between N600 and N700.
[7:20 AM, 7/19/2023] Gabriel Olayinka: Taraba gov swears in Commissioners
Taraba Governor, Dr. Agbu Kefas on Tuesday sworn in Commissioners screened by the Taraba State House of Assembly with a charge on them to deploy their energy and talents in moving the state forward in line with his administration’s blueprint.
Kefas gave the charge while delivering his speech shortly after the State Acting Chief Judge, Justice Filibus Agya administered the oath of office and oath of allegiance on the Commissioners.
The Governor explained that the selection of the Commissioners was done with the spirit of inclusivity, fairness, and balance, adding that his administration recognized the importance of allowing the youths to grow hence the dominance of youths in the cabinet.
“The youths have demonstrated capacity with innovative ideas to leadership and we need to give them opportunities to grow and contribute their quota to the development of the society. We have equally involved women in our quest to ensure gender inclusivity.
“I know you will face challenges, but your experiences in the past will help you to overcome them all. So, work in synergy with your colleagues and other members of the State Executive Council,” he charged.
While congratulating the newly appointed Commissioners, the Governor calls on them to discharge their duties diligently, listen to the concerns of the people and work towards addressing their concerns.
This is even as he said, with the appointment of commissioners in less than two months in office, his administration has taken a bold step toward accelerated development in the state.
[7:20 AM, 7/19/2023] Gabriel Olayinka: Governor Agbu Kefas Restores Confidence: The Analysis of the Political Situation of Taraba State
By Sir Abraham McSambo , Senior Editor , TARABA NEWS .
Understandably, the level of anxiety associated with an attempt at elders to youth change of appointments in Taraba State has these days been high; going by recently released names of the commissioners' nominees in the state. Taraba State political history calls to question the ability of Governor Agbu Kefas to transit this peacefully. The elders political class have in previous occasions justified youth appointments in the state by their inability to govern effectively and consider youth in their own affairs or running of the government. Elders commissionership appointments survive in Taraba State as long as it did because the past governors were all elders and so they were incapable of creating the conditions for effective governance, mass and youth participation in governance and in democratic process. A number of events in the past eight years raised fears that history could repeat itself. For a while it was not clear if the new governor of the state, Dr. Agbu Kefas had learn or understand anything from the past. Fears that the old antics of the political class would still dominate the rule of the game both at the level of governance and the political process have tended to undermine the consideration of the youth for appointments as commissioners in the minds of many tarabans. However, development in the last few weeks and a critical examination of the past two months give hope of major changes in the political landscape and greater confidence about the sustenance of good governance in the state.
Tarabans, despite the spate of crises in the state, have reason for hope and confidence that good governance has come to stay. Events regarding the appointment of youths commissioners in the state, despite numerous hitches, have surprised sceptics. The manner in which major challenges have been met in the past two months has restored confidence that the basis for sustained good governance is being laid solidly in Taraba State. For the eight years of Darius Dickson's rule, democratic and bureaucratic institutions have been very weak and ineffective. A major challenge facing the current leadership of the state, therefore, is how best to ensure genuine restoration of good governance. Weak and battered institutions, poor culture of accountability and transparency, abuse of human rights and the neglect of the majority of the population have created an environment in which reforms have been difficult. Faced with the tragic consequences of underdevelopment, which was propelled and sustained by inept regime of Darius Dickson Ishaku, the state is currently challenged to induce qualitative transformation of the Taraba State economy and society. However, given the depth of the inherited decay, it would take time and perseverance for changes to be noticed. An important point is for confidence to be restored. It is pertinent for Tarabans to begin to believe in themselves, to start accepting that the onus of building the state is that of all it's citizens, to begin to identify with the collective dream of a free and just society policy of governor kefas, to begin to appreciate the all inclusive nature of governance and for hope to be restored in our common destiny.
Talking about the corporate, state, national and international image, it must be remembered where the state is coming from. Taraba became a pariah state at the peak of eight years of Darius Dickson Ishaku's rule with its characteristic abuse of fundamental human rights, corruption and total disregard of the rule of law. The people, especially civil rights activists and journalists, were unlawfully detained without trial, the press was wagged while fear and insecurity ruled the state. The culture of corruption became endemic and advance fee fraud was widespread. It was too risky then to do business with Tarabans and investors fled the state in fear. Politically motivated killings were rife and the state of lawlessness, uncertainty and chaos in some local government areas raised fundamental questions about security of lives and property in the state. The detention of Young JP and Rock FM MD/CEO in 2022, non payment of Taraba State University and local government staff salaries, pension and gratuity which he kept lying to people that he had paid, received state wide condemnation and heightened national and international resentment towards Taraba. The partner organizations and NGOs such as World Bank and Tetfund etc in reaction to such inept policy suspended their projects in the state due to non-payment of the state counterpart fund signalling an era of global and national isolationist policy in the state. Other international and national institutions similarly imposed sanctions on Taraba leaving the state in what has been described as "diplomatic limbo".
It is, therefore, a state with a bad national and international image that governor Agbu Kefas' government inherited on assumption of office. This is a major challenge that has to be confronted. It was evident that in an increasingly globalized world, Taraba cannot but keep pace with the prevailing national and international order. Kefas' government equally recognized that Taraba State return to mainstream national politics is necessary in order to re-assert its prominent role as one of the leading actors in Nigerian economy as a nature's Gift to the nation state. Against this backdrop, governor Agbu Kefas'contact diplomacy was launched immediately he assumed office with the objective of restoring severed diplomatic relations and courting new friends and allies with the capabilities and goodwill to help Taraba protect and promote her state interest. Major successes have been recorded in this area. Taraba State can now be counted as one of the influential states in the country and a major player not just on the continent of Africa but also in the developing world.
The anxiety expressed around the world over the changes going on in the Taraba State reflected the restored hope in Nigeria's hitherto sleeping nature's Gift to the nation. Within the last two months Taraba had regained her lost glory and positioned herself not only to make the people happy but also to impact on national affairs. As a state in transition from eight years of Darius Dickson's misrule, confidence, both from home and abroad, is critical in moving into an era of sustainable growth and development. It is gratifying, therefore, that the recent appellation of Taraba as a failed state by some national and international commentators has been reversed.
On the home front, numerous challenges faced the administration. The economy is in shambles, a real bad shape, of almost like a post-war situation; as poverty reached an unprecedented level. The focus of the new government is therefore to create a dynamic economy designed to serve the People's interest and in which marked forces are combined with the forces of partnership, solidarity and cooperation to produce goods and services for all. Efforts have been intensified to establish a free and democratic state in which powers and actions of government are lawful and where those in authority could be held responsible and accountable to the people. The fight for good governance, accountability and transparency has been waged against many odds. While the rate of progress made has been of great concern to many tarabans, it is important to appreciate the context within which this war is been waged. Corruption is endemic in Taraba and is a result of many factors, some of which cannot be addressed in the short run. To address the issue of corruption, the basic value system in the state must be visited. Many tarabans erroneously believe that the evil of corruption is solely that of leadership. However, the vice has eaten deep into the fabric of Taraba State and feeds on the warped value system.
In spite of this, a number of developments in the last two months have given some hope that at least, at the level of governance, some foundations are being laid that would trigger off a process of genuine change in the state. The decision of the governor to conduct local government elections in October 14, 2023, ruling out the appointment of caretaker committee to oversee the affairs of the local governments before the elections could be conducted against the old way of politicking in state, is a great departure from the past, thus sending even more signals to tarabans and Nigerians that the state is set for credible local government elections. These are all positive signs, appreciated in the state and outside the state. Granted that the political class has a propensity to downplay positive developments in the state all in the name of gaining political advantage, Taraba at this stage of lying the foundation for a sustainable democratic order and good governance, cannot, but move beyond such antics. It is important for Tarabans and the world to appreciate what modest advancements have been made and to support efforts to strengthen these developments. That is how a democratic culture can grow and genuine development fostered.
Despite the various constraints to economic growth, striding steps have been taken and are still being taken to revive the vital sectors of the economy in the state. A number of critical situations have had to be reversed. The education system of the state on which the entire future of the state hinged on was in a mess, with many school buildings being left to collapse. Turnaround maintenance (TAM) of the infrastructure was not undertaken leaving the backbone of education of young ones in the state to deteriorate. The bureaucratic system of the state by May 2023 was in the state of disrepair and neglect. Everything was virtually at brink of collapse and in fact, the last regime made nonsense of this state. At the advent of this administration and in the face of these circumstances, major policy initiatives became imperative. In last two months, these policy initiatives have been taken and results are beginning to manifest in concrete terms. This government has therefore continued to show commitment to reforms, pressing ahead with new projects with regards to transparency and due process. Major challenges still abound on the economic front. It will take years for reforms to transform the economy, given the extent of distortion and period of disequilibria. A lot more could be achieved with greater harmony among the political class and greater support from the citizens of Taraba State for the reform efforts of the governor.
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