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Tag: Gombe State

  • Why we established more varsities in Gombe – Gov Damkwambo

    Why we established more varsities in Gombe – Gov Damkwambo

    Gov. Ibrahim Damkwambo of Gombe State on Friday said the establishment of additional tertiary institutions in the state was aimed at addressing education imbalance between Gombe and other states in the country.

    Dankwambo, who disclosed this during interactive session with newsmen in Gombe, said the state government had secured licence to establish University of Science and Technology to take care of the increasing number of candidates seeking for university admission.

    He said this was in addition to the College of Education established in Billiri and State University already established by the previous administration in the state.

    He said the institutions were established in line with an agenda produced by experts and professionals at the beginning of his administration.

    “ What you saw today was executed inline with the agenda produced right from the beginning of this administration. The agenda is non political and non religious. It is produced to develop the state.“

    Dankwambo said the state government had invested heavily on primary and secondary education to uplift its standard.

    He said pupils were sitting on bare floor when he assumed office in 2011, adding that the situation had now changed.

    He also said that only one per cent of the students that wrote the West African Examination (WAEC) and JAMB qualified for university admission, stressing that the percentage was very encouraging.

    “About 27,000 students are now looking for admission in tertiary institutions to further their education. This is one of the reasons we decided to established addition institutions.“

  • Gombe executive to back GOE bill passage

    Gombe executive to back GOE bill passage

    The Gombe State Executive Council has vowed commitment to support the passage of the Gender and Equal Opportunities ( GEO ) Bill by the state House of Assembly with a promise to ensure full implementation after passage.

    This position is contained in a communiqué issued after a two-day sensitisation workshop organised for them by the European Union (EU) Women under its programmed tagged “Promoting Women Engagement in Peace and Security in Northern Nigeria.”

    The document signed the state Commissioner for Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Mal. Yusuf Manu Swa and Ishiaku Mohammed, Permanent Secretary in the state Ministry of Women Affairs also saw participants committing to active engagement of women and youths i peace-building process.

    Participants condemned in strong terms violence against women, girls, children and all vulnerable persons.

    It therefore resolved to speak against all forms of violence against all persons

    The workshop drew 40 members, which include commissioners, permanent secretaries, UN Peace and Security Project team and representatives of the gender committee.

    It was basically aimed at deepening the knowledge of the members of Gombe state executive on contents of Gombe State GEO Bill and to collate input from them on the content of the Bill.

    The workshop also provided a platform for direct advocacy for the passage of the Bill, while enhancing participants understanding of the United Nations Security Council Resolution ( UNSCR ) 1325.

    The meeting was funded by European Union ( EU )  and implemented by UN women in partnership with UNICEF and the state ministry of women Affairs and Social development.

  • Gombe to inaugurate N4bn conference centre

    Gombe to inaugurate N4bn conference centre

    As part of efforts to open up the state to local and international communities, Gombe State Government says its state-of-the- art International Conference Center will be inaugurated soon.

    The centre, constructed along Airport road, Gombe, at the cost of N4 billion, is one of the best in the country.

    Conducting newsmen round the edifice on Friday, the site Engineer, Mr Sylvanus Silas, said the centre had two wings, eastern and western wing.

    Silas, a Deputy Director in the state Ministry of Housing, said the largest hall can accommodate more than 1500 people.

    He said the centre had three other halls that could accommodate between 500 and 150 people.

    “A parking space for more than 400 cars, banks, shops and other commercial activities have been provided.

    “This is aimed at attracting people from within and outside the country to establish businesses in the state.”

    To facilitate easy movement of goods and people, the state government has also constructed 248 roads to link various towns and villages with the state capital.

    Junaidu Abubakar, Special Assistant to the State Governor, said while conducting newsmen round some of the roads, that 25 of the roads had been dualised.

    “Some of them are federal roads but due to their level of dilapidation, we resolved to reconstruct them to facilitate smooth movement of people and goods in the state.”

    He, however, said the state government would request for refund from the Federal Government.

    Other projects visited include: Gombe State University of Science and Technology, State College of Education, Billiri, Government Science and Technical College, Gombe, and Gombe Central Nursery and Primary School.

    NAN

  • Police confirm release of abducted nurse in Gombe

    Police confirm release of abducted nurse in Gombe

    Mr Shina Olukolu, Gombe state Commissioner of Police on Wednesday confirmed the release of Mr Ephraim Ajuji, a nurse  who was abducted by hoodlums in the early hours of Tuesday in Dadin-Kowa  town of Gombe.

    Olukolu said in a telephone conversation that the victim was released in the early hours of Wednesday.

    “Due to persistent pressure from security agencies, led by police operatives, the victim was released very early this morning (Wednesday),” he said.

    It can be recalled that the abductors of Mr Ephraim Ajuji, a nurse with Cottage Hospital in Dadin-Kowa town of Yamaltu Deba Local Government Area of Gombe, had demanded for N10 million ransom.

    Daughter of the victim, Miss Mary Ephraim, had told newsmen that the kidnappers called around 7am Tuesday and stated their demand.

    The daughter, who sustained a machete cut on her head during the attack, said the kidnappers threatened to kill her father if the ransom was not paid.

    NAN

  • Nurse abducted in Gombe

    Nurse abducted in Gombe

    The Police in Gombe has confirmed the abduction of Mr Epraim Ajuji, a nurse with Cottage Hospital Dadin-Kowa, by suspected hoodlums.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mr Shina Olukolu, told newsmen in Gombe on Tuesday that Ajuji was taken away at about 3.30 a.m on Oct. 31.

    Olukolu said the incident occurred at Dadin-Kowa community of Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of the state.

    According to him, the hoodlums were seen with locally manufactured guns and about seven of them in number stormed the residence of the victim.

    He said that already the State Intelligence Bureau ( SIB ) in collaboration with agents from the Department of State Security as well as members of a vigilante group operating in the area have entered into the surrounding bush in search of the criminals.

    “They are now tracking the criminals. It is our belief that they will eventually be arrested and the man released,” he said.

    NAN

  • Gombe advises residents to avoid monkey pox prone areas

    Gombe advises residents to avoid monkey pox prone areas

    The Gombe State Government has advised residents to avoid places with reported cases of monkey pox.

    The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Kennedy Ishaya, gave the advice in Gombe on Tuesday while briefing journalists on the state’s level of preparedness against the disease.

    “Since monkey pox is a viral infection, I am appealing to the general public to avoid places with the reported case,” Ishaya said.

    He also urged residents in the state to report any constituted signs such as fever, headache and common cold to health facilities and avoid self-medication.

    According to him, since the outbreak of the disease in some parts of the country, the Ministry of Health had set up machinery in place.

    The commissioner said that such contingency was always provided for in the state’s annual budget and N2 million had been released to the state Emergency Response Team.

    He said that one of the measures taken was to designate a place at the state specialist hospital to serve as an isolation ward in case of any outbreak.

    He added that drugs and antiseptics had been procured for treatment of those infected in case of any reported case in the state.

    Ishaya said that the state government had also launched a sensitisation campaign through the media, religious and opinion leaders to educate the people about the disease.

    NAN

  • Gombe trains 50 retired health workers for Immunisation

    Gombe trains 50 retired health workers for Immunisation

    Gombe State Government said it has trained 50 retired health workers to improve service delivery for non-compliance to routine immunisation in five Local Government Areas (LGA).

    Alhaji Sallau Malami, State Health Educator, Primary Healthcare Development Agency, disclosed this in an interview in Gombe, on Thursday.

    He said that 10 retirees were selected from each of the five LGA which include Akko, Gombe, Funakaye, Dukku and Yamaltu/Deba for the training.

    Malami said they were trained on how to address the problem of non compliance of routine immunisation in such areas, which he said was reducing instead of improving on the targeted population.

    “We are going to commence measles immunisation by November, that is why we sensitise them and for them to educate the people in their community to know the benefit of the immunisations and to accept it at the same time.

    “Because we are having complains of non compliance in these areas and we want to join hands together in order to resolve that and improve on the routine immunisation in the communities,” he said.

    According to him, they will also participate fully during the exercise to help people in the communities and the workers.

    “They were the former health workers, they will give inputs to our people working in the communities on how to convince people to accept the immunisation in a friendly manner for us to achieve our goals,” he said.

    He however said that if the participation in the immunisation is encouraging in the five council areas, the remaining six would be included in subsequent exercise.

    NAN

  • ‘NEMA assists 5,623 disaster victims in Gombe’

    ‘NEMA assists 5,623 disaster victims in Gombe’

    The National Emergency Management Agency ( NEMA ) has assisted 5,623 disaster and crisis victims in Gombe State between March and July.

    Malam Abani Imam, the Head of Operations, Gombe and Bauchi NEMA office disclosed this in an interview in Gombe State on Thursday.

    Imam said that 4,200 were affected by flood in Akko, Kaltungo and Yamaltu Deba Local Government, while 1,148 were victims of Billiri/Shongom Local Government communal clash.

    He said that 231 people in Dadin-Kowa community were also affected by flood, while 44 others were victims of inferno at Gombe Timber markets.

    The official said that they were assisted with food and non-food items.

    Read Also: NEMA hands over relief materials to flood victims in Enugu

    “It is not possible for government to replace all they have lost. What we are giving to them is just a kind of succour.

    He said that the agency had also identified another 708 flood victims in Shira Local Government area of Bauchi State, adding that relief materials would be extended to them.

    He appealed to the public to always adhere to NiMet advice to avert possible occurrence of flood.

    NAN

  • Group launches honour-the-flag project

    Group launches honour-the-flag project

    Elsewhere, dropping to one knee when the national anthem is on, in protest of crimes targetted at people of colour, is being misconstrued as disrespect to the national flag. In Gombe State, a group has launched a project aimed at awakening patriotism in Nigerians by honouring the national flag.

    Why launch a project on honouring the national flag?

    The Ambassadors of the Voice of Change Initiative Nigeria, which is behind the flag project, said much as the nation’s founding fathers gave so much to the fatherland, they soon assumed a larger-than-life image, probably becoming more important than such unifying symbols as the national flag.

    The development, they said, has adversely affected national cohesion leading to the relegation and neglect of vital national symbols of unity like the national flag, the national anthem and the national pledge.

    Therefore, these national symbols continuously wane in value and appreciation among Nigerians whom they have sought to unite since the last 57 years of nationhood.

    The Ambassadors want the trend reversed. That was why they launched the sensitisation and distribution of 100 million national flags.

    Speaking at the launch in Gombe, Nollywood star and President of the Ambassadors of the Voice of Change, Clem Ohameze said the programme was conceived and designed after a thorough research which found that over 85% of Nigerians do not know the symbol of the Nigerian flag.

    He said apart from that, most of the challenges facing Nigeria today stem from ignorance of nationhood realities.

    “Corruption in its various forms will not exist if one is patriotic,” he said. “If one knows what being a true Nigerian is really all about, some of these things will be taken care of.

    “Hence we decided to carry out this nationwide sensitisation to enable us get people to know what the national flag symbolises and the need to respect it at all times,” he added

    Ohameze said the project targets the youths, the younger ones; hence the organisation intends to start the campaign from primary school up to secondary school because “the need is absolutely for them to get to know what the national flag is and what it represents at younger ages.”

    A keynote speaker at the occasion, Gloria Nwonye said the fact that the British Union Jack was lowered and Nigeria’s Green-White-Green hoisted in its place by a woman on October 1, 1960, symbolised the need to “see, honour and respect the flag like we normally respect our mothers and our women.”

    She said the flag’s green colour represents the forest and the abundant natural wealth that Nigeria is blessed with, while the white represents peace and unity.

    She said, “The national flag is a symbol that identifies us as Nigerians and stands us out as a people, and there’s no way you are going to talk about the flag without talking about the National Anthem and the National Pledge.

    “Our flag should be visible everywhere – in the market places, on public buildings, in motor parks, in hospitals, in schools, in banks, everywhere, even in worship places, we should have our flags.

    “The visibility of our flags all the time should be in our consciousness. So we need to remedy that as quickly as possible.

    “Every school in Nigeria will have a flag so that even from kindergarten, children will be taught to be loyal and learn how to respect our national symbol.

    “The time has come that right from kindergarten, we should begin to encourage our young ones, teach them  about nationalism, about patriotism so that all these things that stand us out as a people, as a nation will be given their rightful place in the country.”

     

     

     

     

  • Court reserves judgement in trial of three Policemen

    Court reserves judgement in trial of three Policemen

    …Also five Boko Haram members over 2012 blast in Gombe state

     

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has reserved judgement in the trial of 3 policemen and alleged Five Boko Haram members held in connection with the 2012 bomb of Ashaka police station, Bajoga Local Government in Gombe State.

    According to the prosecution, the incident led the death of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO), Abubakar Sadia (a Superintendent of Police) and three others.

    Justice Adeniyi Ademola announced the reservation of judgment after parties re-adopted their final written submissions Monday.

    They had adopted their addresses earlier, but the court could not deliver judgment within the stipulated time, a development the informed the re adoption of addresses by parties.

    The eight defendants are: Abeimel Ibrahim, Isah Kano, Yambah Umaru, Danbga Wilfred, Cpl Jimmy Oba, PC Michael Manu, PC Iliya Mark and Sadeeq Ali Amatiga.

    Re-adopting her address, prosecution lawyer, Chigozie Umenzekwe argued that, from the evidence led and witnesses’ testimonies, the prosecution has proved the offences of conspiracy, murder, destruction of public property and membership of the Boko Haram, for which the defendants were tried.

    Umenzekwe noted that documentary evidence before the court showed that the defendants were responsible for the death of the DP0 in charge of Bodiga Police  station, attack on Zenith and Finbank banks branches that were burnt, and that the defendants were members of Boko Haram.

    The prosecution lawyer noted that the confessional statement of the 1st defendant, Abimael Ibrahim, which was admitted in evidence by the court, provided details of how the attack was planned and executed by the defendants.

    She urged the court to convict the defendants as charged.

    Lawyer to the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th defendants, Nanpong Wuyep urged the court disregard the argument by the prosecution.

    Wuyep, who argued that the prosecution failed to prove its case and link his clients with the offences alleged, prayed the court to discharge and acquit his clients,

    Lawyer to the 3rd defendant (Yambali Umaru), Khamagam Kemiel argued that the only evidence produced by the prosecution seeking to link the 3rd defendant and other defendants with the commission of the alleged serious crime “is a mere sheet of paper which is Exhibit 22A”.

    Exhibit 22A was the confessional statement made by the 1st defendant; Exhibit Gombe 3 was the 1st statement of the 1st defendant made before the Police in Gombe; while Exhibit 22 was another statement the 1st defendant made where he mentioned names of the other suspects.

    Kemiel further argued that the three statements were inconsistent and cannot stand in the face of law.

    The defence lawyer contended that he has shown to the court, in his written address, that there is no legally admitted evidence, which connect the 3rd defendant with the commission of the offence.

    He added: “Not only that, we have also demonstrated that even the so-called Exhibit 22A, when considered together with Exhibit 3 and 4, then it would be manifestly unreliable and unsafe for this court or any other tribunal to convict based on same.”

    Kemiel urged the court to hold that the prosecution has failed to prove its case against the 3rd defendant and other defendants beyond reasonable doubt as required.

    A count in the charge against the defendants reads: “That you Abeimel Ibrahim (m) of Unguwan Alheri, Ashaka Gombe state, (2) Isah Kano (m) of A14 Workers Village Ashaka Cement Gombe, (3) Yambah Umaru of Ashaka Town Bajoga Gombe, (4) Danbga Wilfred of Ashaka Town Bajoga Gombe, (5) Cpl Jimmy Oba’a of Nigeria Police Force Bajoga Division Gombe state, (6) PC Michael Manu of Nigeria Police Force Bajoga Division Gombe state, (7) PC Iliya Mark, Nigeria Police Force Bajoga Division Gombe, (8) Sadeeq Ali Amatiga (m) of Ashaka Town, Gunakaye LGA Gombe state and others at large on 7/3/2012 at 1900 hrs conspired and agreed among yourselves while armed with different types of ammunitions and dangerous weapons and explosives to kill innocent people and destruction of public properties under the name of Boko Haram in Ashaka in Bajoga LGA of Gombe state, an offence which is punishable under Section 516 of the Criminal Code Act Law of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.”