…Begs Governor Kefas, philanthropists for helpBy Femi Bolaji
Jalingo – On the morning of May 21, 2025, the air in Jalingo was electric with anticipation. Flags fluttered along the restricted Government House corridor as the city prepared to host the prestigious Taraba State International Investment Summit (TARVEST) and welcome Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Among the crowd stood Iorhee Saanmoyol Paul, a vibrant National Diploma student at Taraba State Polytechnic, holding aloft a metal banner pole. As the first son of peasant farmers, Paul carried more than just a ceremonial flag.
He embodied the collective hopes of a family counting on his education to break the cycle of generational poverty. The hope of the family is for him to complete his education and be able to cater for the other members who have little or nothing to depend on at the moment.
Then, in a catastrophic split second, routine met tragedy. The iron pole touched an overhead hightension power line and sparked a fire that consumed the student. A violent surge of thousands of volts ripped through his frame, instantly throwing him onto the hard asphalt. He was in deep, inexplicable pain.
