There is palpable face- off between the Taraba State government and the people of Sardauna over the decision of Governor Darius Ishaku to sell the Mambilla Beverages (Nig) Limited, producers of Highland Tea.
The state government, through the Taraba Investment and Properties Limited, had recently invited bids for the privatisation of the aforementioned company.
But a group, the Kamkam Progressive Forum, had insisted that the Taraba State government had no shares in the company and therefore warned prospective investors to distance themselves from the purported sale.
Making their stance known on Thursday in Jalingo through a press statement, they called on the state House of Assembly to for once be on the part of the citizens of Taraba State.
They called on “any unsuspecting and prospective investors” who they believed “might be misled by the dangerous bait cast by the Ishaku’s administration” to distance themselves from purchasing the company.
They also urged the government “to withdraw the shameless advert and to institute an investigation, first regarding the ownership of the company, or in the alternative, publish the details of ownership immediately.”
The group who spoke through their leaders, Abdulrazaq K. Manuhi and Nuhu S. Tiki, added that “the details of these illegalities and flagrant violation of the companies and investment laws of the nation are handy and will be made public shortly.”
Reacting to the group’s claim, the Managing Director of the Taraba State Investment and Properties Limited, Ezekiel Illiya, insisted that the company belongs to the state government.
He narrated how the company was bought and revived by the government. According to him, plans were being concluded to engage the public in a town hall meeting about the matter.
