Nigeria at 63: Anniversary coming at time Nigerians grappling with harsh effect of subsidy removal – Gombe Governor

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Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State

By Akanji Alowoludo, Gombe

It has been observed that the 63rd Independence anniversary  of Nigeria was coming at a time Nigerians are grappling with the effects of fuel subsidy removal, represented by rising inflation and economic hardship. 

The assertion was made by the Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya in his goodwill message on Nigeria’s 63rd independence anniversary, as well as the 27th anniversary of the creation of Gombe State. 

The Governor called for working together by all relevant stakeholders to address the pressing issues that affect the people across all facets of development. 

He called that, “Let us empower our communities and harness the creative energies of our people in order to build a united, prosperous and all-inclusive Nigeria.” 

According to the Governor, “October 1st is a day to remember and honour the struggles and sacrifices of our founding fathers who fought tirelessly for the freedom, unity and sovereignty of our great nation. Bounded by the spirit of common destiny and shared purpose, they carry the torch of freedom to every nook and cranny of our country.”

He also stated that 63 years ago, Nigeria emerged from the shadow of British colonial rule, heralding a new era of self-determination and hope stressing that, “Since then, we overcome many challenges, embraced countless opportunities, and achieved remarkable progress across various fields of human endeavour.”

“As we celebrate these anniversaries, let us pray for peace and stability in our country, and let us march with renewed hope and commitment to the progress and prosperity of our great nation and state,” he appealed. 

Coming to the State, the Governor said that,”Our administration is already providing palliative assistance under our food distribution program which targets 400,000 beneficiaries. We have also approved 10,000-naira transport allowance to all workers in the state pending the determination of new minimum wage. Equally, we are working on investing in CNG vehicles in order to ease the transportation burden on our people.”

He further said that, “For us in Gombe State, this occasion presents a cause for double celebration as we commemorate the 27th anniversary of the creation of our dear State. Over the past twenty-seven years, our state has undergone remarkable transformation and development.” 

Inuwa Yahaya’s added that,”We have made significant strides in education, healthcare, infrastructure, agriculture, job creation, civil service reforms, water resources, environment and sanitation.”

Some of the achievements so far include: Construction of over 700km of roads across 11 LGAs under the Network 11-100 project; Completion of the abandoned Gombe Mega Motor Park project and Construction and renovation of over 1400 classrooms in various schools across 350 schools in the state.

It also include: Upgrading of 5 Legacy Secondary Schools to Mega Schools that are capable of accommodating up to 15000 students with special facilities, and the construction of 4 special schools; Mopped up of over 350,000 out-of-school children through BESDA and Recruitment of 1000 teachers through the Teachers’ Service Commission to address the human resource gap in the education sector.

The administration also provided 1 fully functional PHC in each of the 114 wards across the state, the establishment of Hospitals Services Management Board to improve service delivery in our hospitals and upgrade the State Specialist Hospital Gombe, and the General Hospitals in Kaltungo and Bajoga.

Furthermore, it constructed a brand new 200-bed capacity General Hospital in Kumo, a brand new 600-student capacity College of Nursing and Midwifery; Provision of affordable health coverage to over 100,000 residents of the State, including over 40,000 poor and vulnerable under the Go-Health scheme. 

There was the Expansion and rehabilitation of the Gombe Regional Water Supply Scheme; Building/rehabilitation of about 601 boreholes across the State mostly in rural areas; State-wide reforestation campaign through the Gombe Goes Green (3G) project that is targeted at planting 4 million trees to combat deforestation and soil erosion.

The State also did timely distribution of subsidized fertiliser and assorted seedlings to farmers; Rehabilitation of the 7.5km monstrous gully traversing GSU to Mallam-Inna; the ongoing construction of the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park (Phase 1) in order to harness our huge economic potentials.

Also the establishment of Gombe State Geographic Information System (GOGIS) to reform land administration in the state; Establishment of the Bureau of Public Service Reforms to improve productivity and performance in the civil service and Payment of over N7.9 billion in inherited pensions and gratuities liabilities.

The rest are: Youth empowerment programs under the At-Risk Children Project (ARC-P): these include the Gombe State, Security, Traffic, Environmental Corps (GOSTEC); KEKE rider’s scheme, grants to MSMEs and artisans across the state And many other policies, programs and projects that impact directly on the lives of our people.

According to the Governor, “This progress would not have been possible without the support, dedication and commitment of our people. I would like to express my gratitude to our people for their unwavering support and cooperation. We shall continue to invest in education, healthcare, durable infrastructure and job creation in order to empower our youth, connect our communities, and improve the well-being of our people.”

“As we look back on our journey as a State, let us also look forward to the future with optimism and determination. Our State is known for its rich cultural diversity, abundant natural resources, and resilient people. Our administration is committed to unlocking our immense potentials in order to create a better future for our people,” Inuwa Yahaya stressed. 

The Governor paid special tribute to leaders and citizens, especially members of the armed forces, who paid the ultimate sacrifice in defence of the fatherland saying,”I would like to assure you that their sacrifices are truly appreciated. As captured eloquently in our national anthem, ‘the labour of our heroes past, shall never be in vain.”

He then thanked traditional rulers, religious leaders, security agencies, civil society groups, and the general public for their roles in upholding the unity, peace and stability of Gombe State and Nigeria at large saying, “Together, we can overcome our challenges and build a brighter future for our state and our nation.”