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Tag: Dankwambo

  • Gombe: Why Dankwambo holds the ace—Mansur Lawal

    Gombe: Why Dankwambo holds the ace—Mansur Lawal

    ‘PDP won Gombe LG elections’

    Contrary to the claim by the main opposition parties in Gombe State that the growing popularity of Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo among the people of the state has been blown out of proportion, the Senior Special Assistant, Media Affairs to the Governor, Alhaji Mansur Lawal, has disclosed that Dankwambo’s influence is the manifestation of the hard work and commitment he has brought into governance in the last two years.

    Describing Dankwambo as an unrepentant stickler for due process, transparency and effective management of resources, the Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Alhaji Buba Shanu, said Dankwambo’s professional competence is a principal factor that drives him to achieve, noting that though he is yet to declare his intention to run for a second term despite the huge support and calls by prominent citizens from the state that he should run in 2015.

    Debunking claims that the governor was high-handed in the way he handled the local government elections in the state, Shanu said the so-called leaders of the opposition parties were merely finding faults where there was none..

    Specifically speaking on the election, Shanu, said: “Where was that coming from? The question you should ask is: Did the opposition parties campaign for the election in the first place. For the avoidance of doubt, it is on record thatthe opposition contested only the two out of the eleven local government areas, Gombe and Kwami.

    “In spite of his popularity, Governor Dankwambo did not take chances. He went round the whole local government areas canvassing votes for the party’s candidates and it was not surprising that the party won. Even the opposition acknowledged that the election was free, fair and credible. Now, they are singing a new tune because of the merger talks between some parties. Because of his performance, nine local government areas did not field candidates and PDP candidates were returned unopposed. Even after the election, there was no formal petition from any quarters and no court case was instituted by anybody.

    “One thing I can assure you is that Gombe is a place where differing views are allowed to flow. The opposition is always assured of a level-playing field and they should be free to participate in politics without necessarily dragging the name of the governor into this.”

    Speaking on Dankwambo’s achievements, Mansur said: “Roads are the United Nations’ requirement for indices of reaching out to development even if you want to provide health services to a community, the community needs to be accessed; if you want to provide education, erect a school or establish any school related infrastructure, that community must be accessed even if they have to use bicycles or motorcycles at least they need what you can call a track to reach the target area.

    “If you are talking about agricultural operations, if you have your farm located way into the bushes you need to open up access for these farmers to take in inputs for the development of their farmlands and you need access roads for them to bring out their produce to the markets. If you want to convey services of any type you need corridors, and for maintenance purpose, even if you are tracking through the bush, NNPC pipelines that traversed all the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, you need tracks for maintenance and so on. It is still another form of road.

    “We are talking about providing corridors and opening access. It can be an earth road, it can be a bush track. We only develop the asphalt type of conventional roads to make them durable, accessible, maintainable and reliable. With specific reference to Gombe, I must tell you that we realise that Gombe needed to be interlinked with our various communities and settlements from where we take produce. Our people here are mostly agrarian in nature. Greater majority also are traders who need access to markets. Some of the roads the governor has ordered to be developed, based on the report of our 11 sector based committees, are mainly to open up our vast agricultural potential areas so that activities can be enhanced.

    “With Governor Dankwambo’s vision on revenue generation, we are opening them up to access markets from which we get people coming from neighbouring states and as far as from neighbouring countries who come to trade in our several international markets. Our Governor believes strongly that if we can improve on this, we will have saved Gombe not less than 40 to 50 per cent of its revenue base.”

    “Gombe is at the threshold of a kind of renewal of efforts and commitment. The governor is a thoroughbred professional. When he came in, what he did was to take stock of where we were yesterday, where we are today and where we would like to be in the future. And that is why all the ministries have been very active in meeting targets set by the governor.”

    “In Gombe town alone, apart from other local government areas, over 60 townships roads have been completed. And some are still under construction. In the area of education, over 35 primary and post primary institutions were reconstructed, provided with state of the art equipment to facilitate teaching and learning. Over 2000 professional teachers were employed in the state by the governor to boost learning. There is the establishment of College of Education, Biliri, State Polytechnic in Bajoga and School of Nursing and Midwifery in Dukku, to mention just a few. Scholarships have been enhanced for the students from the states studying in different institutions of learning across the country.

    “The state government also went into collaboration with the University of Maiduguri where over 2000 students from the state are reciveing remedial classes.

    “The governor is popularly known to have rehabilitated youths who were previously into political thuggery and all forms of vices. Today, these youths have been trained in the areas of road marshals, health assistants in their wards and members of security committees in their wards.

    “In the area of commerce, the governor went into collaborations with the Bank of Industry where N3 billion was made available as loans to traders and local manufacturers to boost their businesses. Similar achievements were also recorded in the areas of health, agriculture, water supply and several other areas which made it possible for the people to appreciate the change that has been brought to the state by the governor. These are the things that have set him apart from the rest. How, therefore, can anyone imply that such a person will be out to rig election when his people are solidly behind him? Let the opposition play politics with decency and that is if there is any opposition in the first place.”

  • Opposition re-strategises as Gombe PDP backs Dankwambo for 2015

    Opposition re-strategises as Gombe PDP backs Dankwambo for 2015

    Ahead of the 2015 governorship elections, the ruling People Democratic Party (PDP) has endorsed Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo for another term in Gombe State, but the opposition in the state appears set to stop his re-election. DARE ODUFOWOKAN, Assistant Editor reports

    By the time the dust raised by the council elections held in Gombe State last February settled, close observers of the politics of the state were quick to say the outcome of the highly disputed poll is a sign of things to come in the politics of the state.

    Coming at a time when discussions about the 2015 general elections were already in top gear, the election of officials into the eleven local government areas of the state was seen as a test case for what the politics of the state is likely to look like in 2015.

    Reflective of the state of the political parties in the state as at that time, only two political parties participated in the polls. They are the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC). The two parties fought over 114 councillorship seats and 11 chairmanship seats.

    And after reports of killing, lynching and threats to life rent the air throughout the day, the PDP was announced to have won all available council chairmanship seats. The ruling party and Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo thus used the council polls to announce to the world that it has nothing to worry about as 2015 approaches.

    Of course the opposition parties, especially the CPC, kicked. They alleged that the election was far from free and fair and that the PDP was not the choice of the people of the council areas. But the PDP had its way as the elected council executives were sworn in soon after.

    State chairman of the CPC, Barrister Audu Baba Kwami, recently revisited the disputed election when speaking on the forthcoming gubernatorial election in the state. The party boss who said the opposition in the state is now more virile and ready to confront the PDP, recalled that the council election were nothing but fraudulent.

    “I was personally threatened. Our people were openly attacked. The campaign coordinator to the CPC chairmanship candidate in Gombe local government was arrested and sent to prison the same day. All these were parts of efforts used to weaken our candidate’s chances of winning the election,” he said.

    Pundits say the last local government elections were approached by Governor Dankwambo as a litmus test of his popularity among the people of the state following allegations by his critics that he introduced several inhuman policies that brought about untold hardship.

    With victory in all the council areas secured, Dankwambo gave indication of his readiness to re-contest in 2015 with a fundraising programme organised for him by his friends and political associates.

    At the event organised a week after the said local government elections, his associates in Malala, Dukku local government area, reportedly raised over N76 million for his 2015 governorship campaign organisation expected to be launched later this month.

    Although it is yet to officially announce the governor as its candidate for the 2015 governorship contest, the body language of the leadership of the PDP in the state indicates that it will surrender its ticket to Dankwambo without hassles to seek another term in office.

    But leaders of the opposition in the state, especially the emerging All Peoples Congress (APC), said the PDP will meet a stiff resistance in 2015 if its plan is to rig itself back into office.

    National Organising Secretary of the Action Congress of Nigeria (A CN), Abubakar Inua Kari, who is from the state assures the people of Gombe of the readiness of the APC to defeat the ruling party in 2015. The APC leader said Governor Dankwanbo and his people should start preparing to leave the government house.

    The merger of three leading opposition parties in the state, namely CPC, AC N and the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP), according to some observers of the politics of the state, is likely to alter political calculations ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    “Although the PDP is currently the party to beat in the state, the coming together of these three parties can alter the power structure in 2015. This is because the ANPP used to be a formidable force in the politics of the state before it allowed internal wrangling to reduce it to a shadow of itself.

    “Currently, the CPC is well loved by the people. Allegations of rigging always trail any election the party loses in Gombe State. The people looked forward to a CPC victory in 2011. The AC N too is not new to the people. So if these three are now fusing into one to confront PDP, I think the impact will definitely be felt,” a source said.

    But the governor’s men and supporters say he will have it easy returning to government house in 2015 in spite of the threat posed by a rejuvenated opposition being led by the emerging APC.

    Recently, the Minister of Transport, Sen. Idris Umar, expressed support for the re-election of Dankwambo of in 2015. This endorsement comes across as a big one for the governor as the minister has earlier being rumoured to be eying the governor’s job.

    Umar, an indigene of Hinna in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State, made the call during his courtesy visit to the Deputy Governor of the state, Mr Tha’anda Rubainu, in Gombe.

    The minister said his support for Dankwambo’s re-election was informed by the ‘giant strides’ recorded by the governor in all sectors of the economy in the state.

    “Let me take this opportunity to thank the executive governor of Gombe State for the various giant strides that are being carried out in this state. In less than two years, the governor has demonstrated to everybody that he is here to serve the people of this state and that he is indeed serving the people.

    “Very cost-effective projects are being executed in the state. I have always attested to this; I am attesting to this and I will continue to attest to the fact that these giant strides are unequalled in the history of this state,” he said.

    The minister said the governor’s performance is enough to earn the PDP another four years in charge of the affairs of the state and as such should be supported to vie for office again.

    “We are committed that come 2015, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo should return to Government House as governor. I have said this several times and I will continue to say that I will ever support him; I will stand by him. Your team is a pride to this state; we must support you. I call on every citizen to have no hesitation whatsoever in supporting him to come back as governor in 2015,” he said.

    Also speaking on the chances of the PDP in 2015, the Woman Leader of the state chapter of the party, Hajiya Sa’adatu Mustapha, said in spite of the planned merger of some opposition political parties with a view to take over power from the PDP, Dankwambo will keep the party in power beyond 2015

    “As far as I am concerned, with the magnitude of work going on in Gombe State now and what Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo and his wife are putting on ground, there is no room for any other party. It is all under the umbrella of the PDP. As you enter Gombe, even the blind can feel that there are changes. I am 100 per cent sure that there will be no other party except the PDP in Gombe come 2015,” she said.

    Speaking further, Mustapha said the youth empowerment programme introduced by the governor has won the hearts of the people of the state for the ruling party.

    “It is one of the best things to happen in the state owing to the visionary leadership of our governor not to abandon any genuine project that touches on the lives of the people, particularly the youths. It is really good because it is a continuous programme,” she added.

    But this is just as critics of the governor say he is not as popular as his handlers are propping him up to be. They argued that his coming to power in 2011 was largely made possible by the then outgoing Senator Danjuma Goje-led administration.

    And now, with Dankwambo and Goje rumoured to be at loggerheads as the 2015 election approaches, it is left to be seen if the former Accountant General of the Federation will surmount the hurdles on his way to a second term.

     

  • Dankwambo canvasses special training for governors’ security aides

    Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo has canvassed for a special training for security personnel serving governors.

    The governor spoke at a dinner in honour of journalists serving in the state.

    He expressed dismay over the way some “overzealous security personnel” harass members of the public, especially journalists.

    The governor was referring to an incident in which a Leadership correspondent was allegedly harassed by some operatives of the State Security Service (SSS) at the Government House gate in Gombe.

    It was learnt that Speaker Inuwa Garba and some commissioners intervened and pacified the journalist, who wanted to cover an assignment at the Government House.

    Dankwambo said he was touched when Garba informed him about the incident.

     

  • Dankwambo’s model for youth empowerment in Gombe State

    Dankwambo’s model for youth empowerment in Gombe State

    In the time past, life in Gombe State was a nightmare because of the level of violence unleashed on the people of the state by some restive youths, who were known as ‘Yan Kalare’. But today, barely two years since Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo was sworn in as the governor of the state, one can authoritatively say Gombe is a restive-free state, or if you like, a Kalare-free state.

    This is because of the series of youth development and empowerment programmes and policies evolved and religiously implemented by the governor. Mainly executed through the Ministry of Youth Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation, the issues of making life better for Gombe youths is the bottom line of every developmental stride executed in virtually all the sectors of the state.

    The ray of hope that people saw when the governor first dissociated himself from youths restiveness and then publicly proscribing them during his inauguration has developed into an awe-inspiring atmosphere of friendliness in the state.

    This followed the deliberate pronouncement and implementation of policies and programmes designed to‘re-orientate’ and rehabilitate the hitherto restive youths with a view to reintegrating into the social environment in the state. More so, that these policies and programmes are deliberately aimed at aiding them to be useful to themselves, families and the state in general.

    Accordingly, in the first batch of reorientation and rehabilitation programme, a total of 1,200 youths were recruited, out of which 1,197 successfully completed the three-week rehabilitation at the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) permanent orientation camp in Malam Sidi, headquarters of Kwami Local Government Area. After they were trained, the youths are now serving as ward, traffic and environmental marshals in the state.

    “The testimonies are there and people are very happy with the programme; even the youths themselves. Friends of those that participated in the rehabilitation exercise have seen the advantage and can not wait to be part of it,” said the Commissioner of Youths Empowerment and Poverty Alleviation, Alhaji Mijinyawa Labaran while commenting on the Corps Marshal scheme established by the government.

    The success story and many other testimonies underscore the untold turnaround in the life and fortunes of the youths that went through the three-week reorientation cum rehabilitation exercise initiated by the Dankwambo-led administration in Gombe state to set the stage for return of peace and tranquility to Gombe State.

    These marshals have so far made tremendous impact in the areas of ferreting information, sanitation, traffic control, maintaining orderliness and lots more. A good number of them were part of those selected from the state during the last army recruitment exercise.

    In recognition of their exemplary commitment, 330 of the marshals were selected and trained at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Institute in Shere Hills, Jos-Plateau State.  After their training, they now serve as supervisors and Monitors of the marshals.

    Considering the huge benefits and growing yearnings by youths to enroll in the marshal programme, government has concluded plans to enlist another batch of 1,200 youths for the reorientation and rehabilitation programme.

    “We are just waiting for the current batch of the National Youths Service Corps to finish orientation exercise at the camp, after which we will move in and commence the training”, Labaran further explained.

    Preceding the rehabilitation programme was another intervention to empower 320 youths through trainings in seven different trades from four skills acquisition centres across the state at the cost of well over N480,000 each. The graduate trainees were resettled with tools of the trades they learnt while the governor approved that an interest-free loan of N200,000 be given to each of them after fulfilling some conditions to enable them set up businesses.

    The programme has now been scaled up to accommodate 520 youths and 16 trades where government is expected to expend N228 million in the training, allowances to both the trainees and trainers. At present, the training manual has been developed by the consultant and any moment, the training will commence for the youths. After they complete the training programme, government plans to provide them with similar tool kits for the setting up of their businesses.

    According to Alhaji Mijinyawa Labaran, “The youths would equally upon completion of their training receive a credit facility of two hundred thousand naira with kits of the trade they have learnt to enable them start-off. But during the training period, each trainee would be given a monthly stipends of N6,000 to augment their transportation to the centre and to sustain their interest and commitment to the scheme.

    The Dankwambo’s policies in empowering the youths, has concluded arrangements for the distribution of 867 tricycles (Keke-NAPEP) to youths in the state. The aim is to alleviate poverty and enhance their economic empowerment.

    In the same vein, a tricycle assembly plant has been established to train 1,000 youths who would be engaged in assembling the Completely Knocked Down (CKD) parts of 550 units of tricycles to be brought from Pakistan and subsequent importations of tricycle CDKs. A reasonable number of fully coupled tricycles will be supplied from Steyr Nigeria Limited, Bauchi.

    The interesting thing about the programme is that the 1,000 youths to be engaged in the assemblage of these tricycles would be employed by government while the plant will also serve other neighbouring states.

    Another programme which the present government has embraced to alleviate poverty is the Condition Cash Transfer (CCT) scheme in collaboration with the Federal Government. As a programme under the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), the state enrolled 1,500 beneficiaries, comprising the poorest of the poor, the disabled and other less privileged persons in the state.

    To sum up the benefit of this scheme, at the end of the year, its multiplier effect will have touched the lives of 3,000 persons. To expand the programme to other numerous poor, government plans to scale up the scheme to accommodate about 5,000 beneficiaries across the state.

    As an agrarian state, the Gombe State government also plans to collaborate with the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin Kowa town of Yamaltu Deba Local Government of the state to engage 1,000 youths who would be given one hectare of land each to engage in farming. Government has began talks with a Chinese firm to train youths in modern farming techniques in animal fattening, fishery, poultry and crop production.

    The Dankwambo-led administration has also taken advantage of the federal government’s Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) where another batch of 3,000 youths were engaged for various poverty alleviation programmes.

    Youths are unarguably central to the development of any society because they are the strongest, most vibrant and obviously the future leaders. Therefore, every future plan must be built around them to ensure that they are given proper attention that would translate to a brighter tomorrow for individuals and the nation at large.

    This is the impetus behind the various intervention programmes and other indirect programmes in education, agriculture, sports development, health among other sectors of the state.

    Today, the youths are indeed having a better deal than ever; no wonder the atmosphere of restiveness hitherto witnessed in the state has given way to a hospitable situation as everybody is now busy engaged in one activity or the other for self sustenance and development

    •Mela writes from Federal Low Cost

    Housing Estate, Gombe

     

  • Dankwambo urges new council chiefs on insecurity

    Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State has urged the newly-elected local government chairmen to address insecurity in their localities.

    He spoke during the inauguration of the chairmen, who were elected during last Saturday’s poll.

    Governor Dankwambo said his administration has been doing its best to support security operatives, but has decided to extend the support to the rural communities through the local governments.

    Said he: “While you are coordinating the activities of the community-based security committees, prompt and timely reports should be sent to the state government to ensure that peace is maintained in all parts of the state.”

    The governor also enjoined the chairmen to evolve ways of improving on the internally-generated revenue (IGR) of their local governments by plugging loopholes to prevent pilfering by the revenue collectors and other officials.

    This, according to him, would reduce over-dependence on statutory grants from the federation accounts.

    Governor Dankwambo said improved IGR would complement his administration’s efforts in the provision of infrastructural facilities. He advised the new chairmen to maintain the tempo exhibited by their predecessors in project implementation.

    Speaking on behalf of the new council bosses, the Chairman of Gombe Local Government, Alhaji Ibrahim Sagir Babawuro, appreciated the people’s support during the election and promised not to disappoint them.

  • Dankwambo decries anti-party activities

    Ahead of the local government election scheduled for Saturday, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo of Gombe State has decried the anti-party activities of some Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stalwarts.

    He spoke at Bambam in Balanga Local Government where he launched the Gombe South Senatorial District campaign.

    Governor Dankwambo said: “Don’t look up to the people who will come to your house at night and give you N250,000 as support for your campaigns only to give the opposition N10 million. If they truly love you and support your cause, why are they not here now?”

    He expressed confidence in PDP’s ability to sweep Saturday’s election, urging the electorate to come out en masse and vote.

    Dankwambo enjoined the chairmanship and councillorship candidates to justify the confidence reposed in them by observing the principles of fairness, equity and justice.

    While assuring of the senatorial district’s loyalty to the party’s cause, the former Deputy Governor, John Lia’zarus Yoriyo and the zone’s PDP Chairman, Shuaibu Sabulu, advised the governor to address the neglect of Gombe South in appointments into plum offices.

  • Dankwambo pledges to support aspirants

    Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State has pledged to support those aspiring for their ancestral traditional stools at the appropriate time.

    He spoke when he received the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Malam Sanusi Lamido Sanusi, at the Government House. He was heading for Dukku to pay a congratulatory visit to the recently-turbaned Emir of Dukku, Alhaji Haruna Rasheed.

    “I also pray for whoever is aspiring for the throne of his ancestors. I will support the move at the appropriate time.

    “I am not praying it should happen soon, but at the appropriate time, I hope we will rally round our colleagues and support them for their desired positions,” Governor Dankwambo said, canvassing support for the new Emir.

    He urged him to face the challenges being a developmental leader, who would serve as a unifying factor to enjoy the kind of support his father and predecessor enjoyed during his 49-year reign.