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Tag: GOMBE

  • Gombe SUBEB committed to tackling menace of out-of-school children

    Gombe State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) has restated its commitment to addressing the menace of out-of-school children in the state.

    Mrs Zulaihatu Madugu, Acting Secretary of the board, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Gombe.

    Madugu said statistics of out-of-school children was worrisome to government, educationists and all stakeholders across the country.

    She stated that the board had done a lot in tackling the challenge in the state.

    According to her education is a right that must be enjoyed by the Nigerian child irrespective of background and location.

    “The board has recruited more teachers with the state government building more classrooms while improving on existing facilities to tackle the menace.

    “We are putting all strategies in place to ensure we tackle the challenge of out-of-school children in the state. It is worrisome but we are reversing the trend.

    “We are providing more facilities in schools to accommodate more pupils and students while strengthening our enrolment drive to schools across the state.

    “We recruited over 1,700 teachers and care-givers last year to complement our staff strength.

    “It is just in efforts to build our capacities towards addressing the challenges, knowing fully well that the enrolment drive will reduce the number of out-of-school children.

    “We are also partnering with the World Bank and other willing partners in efforts to see that the statistics is shot down. We are not relenting as a board,” she said.

    Madugu stressed that several partnerships were ongoing with Islamic Development Bank and other foreign organisations.

    She charged all stakeholders in the education sector of the state to see the menace as a collective task that must be addressed.

    The acting secretary said this was to better the future of the country rather than leave the responsibilities to government alone.

    NAN

  • Gombe: Atiku loses in Dankwambo’s polling unit

    President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeated Atiku Abubakar, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo’s polling unit in Gombe in yesterday presidential poll.

    Mr Ahmed Makko, the Presiding Officer of Hassan Manzo 005, announced the result amidst jubilation by APC supporters.

    Buhari scored 453 votes to defeat Atiku, who scored 80 votes.

    However, in the senatorial election, Gov. Dankwambo won in the unit scoring 325 votes to defeat the APC candidate Alhaji Saidu Alkali who scored 212 for the Gombe North Senatorial seat.

    NAN reports that Buhari’s supporters took to the streets to celebrate the victory.

  • Who wears the crown?

    WHO rules Nigeria over the next four years? That is the major task before voters as they go to the polls today to pick the country’s president in the biggest election ever in its history. Although a  total of 73 candidates are in the presidential race, according to the list released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the contest from all indications will be a straight fight between the  incumbent, Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the only candidates to have physically gone round the country to canvass for votes. It has been a tough duel; it is the race of their lives. But the odds seem to be in favour of Buhari with projections and poll experts tipping him to win the most votes.

    There are a total of 84 million voters registered for the elections and the March 2 governorship and state assembly elections. Buhari’s APC  is in control of the four states with the largest concentration of registered voters: Lagos 6.8m, Kano 5.4m, Kaduna 3.9m and Katsina 3.2m, and his popularity in the Northwest with 20.1million voters and Northeast with 11.2m voters is unrivalled. Poll projections suggest that in the Northeast,the President will win in Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Yobe while Atiku is likely to win in Taraba. Adamawa, where Atiku comes from, is generally seen as a battleground between the two leading candidates, although many residents acknowledge Buhari as the brain behind the relative peace being enjoyed in the state now after many years of insecurity unleashed by Boko Haram.

    Most of the states in North Central – Kwara, Kogi, Plateau, Benue and Nasarawa- are regarded as battlegrounds but Buhari is tipped to win in Niger. The Northwest, especially Kano with its enormous votes, has always been Buhari’s comfort zone .His home state – Katsina, Sokoto, Kaduna, Kebbi, Zamfara and Jigawa are all considered safe for him. Same goes for the Southwest where the APC is in control of the six states in the zone:Lagos,Ekiti, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Oyo. Atiku is projected to win in all the five Southeast states of Abia, Anambra, Enugu, Ebonyi and Imo, although Buhari is tipped to receive more votes in the zone than he did in 2015. Most of the states in the South-South are also projected to vote for Atiku. These are Bayelsa, Rivers, Delta and Cross River while Edo and Akwa Ibom are likely to cast their lot with Buhari. Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina have largest number of voters With  6,570,291 ,Lagos has the largest number of registered  voters for this year’s elections.It if followed by  Kano with  5,457,747, Kaduna with 3,932,492 and  Katsina  with 3,230,230. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it registered over 84 million voters for the elections .

     

    Following is the breakdown of  how voters were registered  state by state:

    Abia 1,932,892 Adamawa 1,973,083 Akwa Ibom 2,119,727 Anambra 2,447,996 Bauchi 2,462,843 Bayelsa 923,182 Benue 2,480,131 Borno 2,315,956 Cross River 1,527,289 Delta 2,845,274 Ebonyi 1,459,933 Edo 2,210,534 Ekiti 909,967 Enugu 1,944,016 FCT 1,344,856 Gombe 1,394,393 Imo 2,272,293 Jigawa 2,111,106 Kaduna 3,932,492 Kano 5,457,747 Katsina 3,230,230 Kebbi 1,806,231 Kogi 1,646,350 Kwara 1,406,457 Lagos 6,570,291 Nasarawa 1,617,786 Niger 2,390,035 Ogun 2,375,003 Ondo 1,822,346 Osun 1,680,498 Oyo 2,934,107 Plateau 2,480,455 Rivers 3,215,273 Sokoto 1,903,166 Taraba 1,777,105 Yobe 1,365,913 Zamfara 1,717,128

  • I’m ready to cast my vote, says 82-year-old woman

    An 82-year-old woman, Hajiya Zainab Usman, says she is ready to perform her civic duty in the Feb. 16 and March 2, presidential and governorship elections.

    The octogenarian, who resides at Yelenguruza Quarters area of Gombe metropolis said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Friday in Gombe.

    She said it was the duty of every Nigerian to vote for candidate of his or her choice, adding that “the beauty of democracy lies in one’s ability to choose who leads the people.

    “I am ready to cast my vote. I have been doing that for years and I will do it as long as God gives me breath.

    “Election has been a vital part of governance where everyone has the right to choose whoever he or she wants to lead them. This is the beauty of democracy because of the power of choice.

    “ My grandchildren will be taking me to Dakin Kowa today ahead of tomorrow’s election, where my polling unit is so that I can cast my vote for my preferred candidates,’’ she said.

    Usman decried the level of political thuggery and violence that were recorded every electioneering year in the country, adding that election in the past could be likened to a political funfair of some sort.

    She also decried the low level of political participation by women, adding that women should make politics part of their lives by coming out to cast their votes during elections.

    The octogenarian appealed to the youths to shun violence, adding that the country belonged to them and whatever the actions taken may affect the youths in the nearest future.

  • INEC to engage 14, 000 adhoc staff

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to engage 14, 000 adhoc staff for the conduct of the forthcoming general elections in Gombe.

    The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, made the disclosure on Thursday in Gusau.

    Ibrahim told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the adhoc staff would be deployed to 2,985 polling units and voting points across the state.

    “They include NYSC members, students of the federal tertiary institutions, ex-corp members, staff of federal ministries, departments and agencies, lecturers of federal tertiary institutions and retired judges.

    “We have begun training for serving corps members while training of other categories of adhoc staff will commence from Jan. 23.

    “I am appealing to traditional rulers and religious leaders to call on their subjects to treat corps members and other election duty staff posted to their communities fairly.

    Read Also: Polls: We’re good to go, says INEC chair

    “They are patriotic citizens on national duty and should be given every support,” he said.

    He, however, advised members of the public to report any breach of electoral guidelines by the personnel to the appropriate quarters.

    Ibrahim said that nobody should take laws into his hands.

  • Gombe Fire Service recorded 216 incident calls in 2018

    Gombe State Fire Service said on Monday that it received no fewer than 216 fire incident calls across the state in 2018 as against the 304 it got in 2017.

    A Deputy Director in the Service, Mr Wambai Haruna, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Gombe and said the calls were less than the 304 received in 2017.

    Haruna attributed the drop in the incidents calls to sustained campaigns by the service in 2018, on how to prevent fire cases.

    According to him, fire outbreak always results in colossal damage which can include human lives, hence the need for the adoption of campaign to prevent the incidents in the state.

    “In 2018, we received over 216 fire calls against the 304 calls recorded in 2017. There is a tremendous decline in the number of calls across the state.

    “This is as result of the fact that people are now more aware of the damages and danger of fire outbreaks in the society, through the sustained campaigns.

    “The breakdown of the statistics of fire calls received shows that residential calls were more when compared to the calls from markets and other places like hospitals, religious centres and schools.

    “Majority of the calls in 2017 and 2018 were recorded in the first three months of the year. This is why people must be very conscious in this first quarter of 2019.

    “In 2017, between January and March, we recorded 140 calls out of 304 and in 2018, 85 calls out of the 216 fire calls were received within the same period,” he said.

    Haruna added that majority of the fire incidents were caused by electrical appliances, and advised the people to always check their electrical appliances before going out or to bed.

    He warned against burning of refuse, bushes and other inflammable items close to residential areas and market places, adding that any attempt to burn anything must be supervised to ensure that the fire did not spread.

  • 2019: INEC tasks staff on productivity, credible elections

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the commission’s desk officers to develop themselves for greater productivity for the forthcoming general elections to be more credible than that of 2015.

    Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Gombe State, made the call in Gombe on Thursday during the North East Capacity Building Workshop on `Voter Education’ for desk officers.

    Ibrahim, who was represented by his Administrative Secretary, Alhaji Abacha Bukar, said the success of any election largely depended on effective voter education, among others.

    According to him, it is only when the electorate are fully informed of the electioneering process that credible election will be envisaged.

    He called on the participants to work hard toward ensuring free, fair and credible elections in their respective states and the country at large.

    Read Also: Chair: INEC ready for credible polls

    “As the 2019 general elections approach, the commission will be counting on your experience, dedication, creativity, professionalism and patriotism to accomplish these noble objectives.

    “This is even more imperative with the menace of vote-buying gaining prominence and other ills threatening our electoral system, ‘’ the commissioner said.

    In her remarks, Mrs Mary Nkem, Deputy Director, Voter Education, INEC, Abuja, said that the objectives of the workshop was to build staff capacity for effective voter education ahead of 2019 general elections.

    She said that it was also an avenue to brief the staff on key voter education activities for the elections.

    Nkem said that INEC was committed to make the elections free, fair and credible.

    She called on the participants to be free and interact for them to fully understand the purpose of the workshop.

    The participants were drawn from Adamawa, Borno, Bauchi, Gombe, Taraba and Yobe States

    NAN

  • FAAN halts flights to Gombe, Kebbi airports over N808m debts

    THE Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said yesterday that it is withdrawing its security, fire and rescue services from Gombe, and Kebbi airports over N808 million being owed the agency.

    Its spokesperson, Mrs. Henrietta Yakubu, said the authority took the decision because the affected airports and their managers have not shown any concerted efforts to pay the debts.

    The decision, she said, came a month after final notice was given by FAAN for the airports to pay up.

    She said effective from midnight yesterday, FAAN would withdraw services to the affected airports.

    Mrs. Yakubu said FAAN has already issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) to enable them review their logistic plan.

    She said Gombe Airport owes FAAN over N607,289,927 million. Kebbi and Bebi airports are indebted to the tune of N124,547,240 and N76,772, 984.

    According to aviation regulations, no airport is authorised to carry out flights without adequate security and fire cover.

    One of the affected airlines, Arik Air said at the weekend that it would be suspending flights to Osubi and Gombe Airports.

    Its spokesman, Adebanji Ola, said the carrier would move its Port Harcourt flights out of Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal Two (MMA2) effective from today till further notice.

    He urged Warri passengers to use Benin Airport as alternative and Gombe passengers are to use Bauchi Airport.

    Ola said: “All Arik Air flights to Omagwa Airport Port Harcourt will as from the same date operate from Murtala Muhammed Airport Terminal One, otherwise known as General Aviation Terminal (GAT).

    “Arik Air regrets any inconvenience the closure of the three airports may cause its esteemed customers.

    “We hope the issue between FAAN and the airport authorities will be resolved soonest.

  • Emir turbans five women in Gombe

    The Emir of Deba in Gombe State, Alhaji Ahmed Usman, has turbaned five women with traditional titles in his kingdom.

    The ceremony held at the emir’s palace in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of the state yesterday.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the new title holders include Fatima Mohammed, turbaned as the first Garkuwan Matan Deba and Aisha Muhammed as Annurin Deba.

    Others are Halima Muhammed as Tauraruwan Deba; Kulu Tela-sidi as Wakiliyan Matan Deba; and Abu Gurkuma as Sarkin kudu of Deba.

    Speaking during the ceremony, the esmir said the women had excelled in their various field of endeavours. Usman said the women were doing their best in the council, adding that they have vital roles to play in the council. He called on them not to relent in their efforts for the success of the emirate and entire people in the council.

    Speaking on behalf of the new title holders, Mrs Fatima Mohammed commend the emir over the appointment and promised to serve the council judiciously.

    She said that their appointment was a demonstration of a just and quality leadership that believes in women in leadership.

  • Gombe: Untold secrets of Dankwambo’s governance

    Government, world over, is a subject of accountability. When a government makes proper accountability a legacy with a view to ensuring that the people get value for the resources spent while in office, it becomes a foundation for subsequent administrations to succeed. In governance, it is often very inviolable to always bequeath a benchmark that will provide a soft landing for the next administration to heave a sigh of relief in terms of kick-starting the day-to-day business of providing the dividends of voting in such administration.

    In Gombe State, the history of legacy building has become intrinsic of governance as successive governments had made it an unassailable responsibility to see to it that the next administration does not get burdened to death by any means whatsoever. By burden, it is crystal clear in contemporary times that nothing burdens a state or nation like debt. The present administration, with all sense of caution, has, in all directions, deviated from the norm of leaving behind legacy for the next administration through its misplaced spending that has shown that the people of Gombe has not gotten the value for all the revenue collected in the last seven years. It is easy to see the discrepancy between the huge revenue and the work that the present administration claimed to have done as projects. The discrepancy is an evidence of poor accountability and financial abuse vis-à-vis all the allocations collected as accrued to Gombe State.

    The state government had reeled out the achievements of the Dankwambo led administration, which included an upgrade of the 1500-bed Children & Women Hospital close to Id ground, construction of a dialysis center in Specialist Hospital Gombe, construction of the College of Nursing & Midwifery, Dukku, construction of a snake-bite treatment center in Kaltungo and the installation of 8 dialysis. Junaidu also said the government had rehabilitated pipelines to Kwami, constructed a dam at Boh, Shongom LGA.

    In the education sector, the government had been praised by paid associates for renovating more schools than constructing new schools. In the agricultural sector, the government could only boast of procuring 250 tractors and the establishment of a non-functional micro finance bank within the last seven years for an agrarian state like Gombe. At a time when the agricultural policy of the federal government, through Anchor Borrower Program, is yielding results and enriching farmers, the state government had remained inactive in that sector.

    The state government had also claimed to have up-graded the International Airport in Gombe but for those of us who have had the privilege of ‘sight-seeing,’ there is nothing but regrets that the government of the day has abandoned the airport for years. In addition, the government said it has constructed several roads within the state, built a N4 billion International Conference center as well as procured N4.4 billion hospital facilities which lay waste at the warehouse. With the huge revenue collected from the Federation Account, Paris Club refund and IGR for seven years, the government could only claim the above achievements.

    Without sounding immodest, the government has not given the good people of Gombe State the right value for their money within the last seven years. The government has also accumulated huge debt burden of several billions of naira as domestic debts and millions of dollars as foreign.

    The people of Gombe must task the state government to be financially responsive for once by paying all their debts before folding the napkin of their debt-driven style of leadership in the state. With the N30 billion bonds secured, yearly average of N31 billion as FAAC disbursements to Gombe for seven years, which gives at least N217 billion, the IGR and Paris Club refund, there has been an unprecedented neglect of infrastructure as evident in the Pantami Stadium, International Airport, rural roads like those in Nafada axis of the state, hospitals and schools to mention but a few.

    Unjustifiable borrowing, which is characteristic of the Dankwambo administration and a proof that good leadership has lost its definition in Gombe State, has put the future of Gombe after Dankwambo in a very precarious situation that it will only take an administrative guru, which the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) does not have in Nafada, to resolve. Little wonder that everyone is wishing All Progressives Congress (APC) members to bounce Gombe back to become the jewel in the savannah in all sectors of governance in the state.

    When the infrastructural developments for which borrowing was meant are absent in reality or what is on ground are not commensurate with what the state government has borrowed, despite the federal allocations and Paris Club refund, then it bleeds the heart of citizens who bear the brunt.   In 2016, according to the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), which focuses on Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) disbursements, Gombe State received total FAAC allocations of 31.41 billion naira, while the Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) stood at 3.57 billion naira to make total revenue of 34.98 billion. Similarly, in 2017, Gombe State received 31.23 billion naira and also the state government got 13.4 billion Paris Club refund.

    Despite similar allocations from 2011 and IGR, the infrastructure that are on ground are not what the people expect to see.

    Perhaps this is the reason Gov. Dankwambo is seeking to impose Senator Nafada to become the next governor so that the debt status of the state will remain a mystery to the people. The governor knows that in a situation whereby Dr. Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna had won the primary it would have been difficult for JIG to be used as the governor’s stooge, in view of JIG’s impeccable character that has made him the Sardaunan Gombe and a vanguard of trust.

    The question now is what legacy will Dankwambo leave behind for the next administration? I hope the governor is not thinking of leaving behind debt burden for the next administration to bear. This is the more reasons many across the state have been canvassing for the APC to come on board so that the anti-corruption fight of President Muhammadu Buhari will be relocated to the state so that those who helped themselves with the wealth of the people would be made to cough out the money.

    Furthermore, despite the constant FAAC allocations, Paris Club Refunds and other IGR sources of revenue, the state has a debt burden 63.89 billion naira in 2016 and 41.9 billion in 2017 as domestic debts while the foreign debt stands at 38.5 million dollars.