Barrister TargemaTakema who hails from Gboko Local Government Area was born on 25th November, 1960. He started his education at NKST Primary School, Gboko South from1967 to 1973 where he obtained the First School Leaving Certificate.
Thereafter, he was admitted at W.M. Bristow Secondary School, Gboko, in 1973 and graduated in 1978, with the West African School Certificate, WASC.
He later attended the School of Basic Studies, Ugbokolo from 1978 to 1980, where he obtained the Interim Joint Matriculation Board, IJMB which prepared him for university admission.
The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria admitted him to study Law in 1981 and he graduated in 1984 with a Bachelor of Law degree. He thereafter attended the Nigeria Law School in the1984-1985 session.
He was called to the Bar in 1985 and took part in the compulsory NYSC in 1985/1986 where he worked with the Nigeria Legal Aid Council in Kwara State.
Thereafter, Barrister Takema took up appointment with the Nigeria Foreign Service in 1986 as Foreign Service Officer. Between 1986 and 1987 he was sent to the Nigeria Foreign Service Academy where he graduated with distinction as best graduating student in Strategic Studies.
After this feat, he was deployed to the legal department of the Service and was to the Inspectorate Directorate where he became Head of the Foreign Courier Desk. He was later sent for professional foreign intelligence operations and, upon completion of the course, was posted to Liberia as a Foreign Service Operations Officer where he headed the Counselor’s Economic and Political Desk.
In 1992, he was awarded the Foreign Service’s highest intelligence medal and was designated as the official liaison officer between the Federal Government of Nigeria and Liberia’s warring factions.
He returned to Nigeria in 1995 and was posted to the Presidency where he headed the Special Desk for West Africa. Appointed member of the ECOWAS committee on the restructuring of the Liberian Armed Forces, he also served as member, Nigeria’s delegation to Liberia, and was a permanent member of Nigeria’s delegation to all peace talks. He also initiated the ECOMOG stamp project in 1998.
In the political sphere, Barrister Takema was appointed Special Adviser to the FCT Minister in 2008.
He was Interim Chairman of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Benue State in 2014. During the build-up to the 2015 gubernatorial elections in the state, he was appointed secretary of the Ortom-Abounu Governorship Campaign Organization. His hard work paid off as the duo won the elections convincingly.
He was sworn in as Secretary to the State Government on the 2nd June, 2015.
