….. As 4,500 adolescent school girls benefited from Textbooks, Uniforms.
Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya says his administration is open and readily available to any person or organisation wishing to undertake activities that will lead to the growth and development of the State.
Governor Yahaya gave this indication at the flag off ceremony of the distribution of Textbooks and Uniforms to School girls by the Centre for Girls Education, a United Nations Funds for Population Activities and Norwegian funded Project for Adolescent Girls Initiative. (AGI) at the Government Girls Secondary School Kaltungo.
Represented by his Deputy Dr. Manasseh Daniel Jatau, the Governor said the Gombe State Government under the leadership of Governor Inuwa Yahaya is desirous of repositioning the education sector especially that of girl child, saying this was why the Governor declared a State of Emergency on the Education sector.
“With the State of emergency, all hands were place on deck in a comprehensive approach that resulted in the provision of infrastructure, supervision, monitoring to ensure that our desires is achieved. Through the established BESDA, more than five hundred thousand out of School children were enrolled back to school”.
He said in order to spur the girl child in the State towards attaining her God given potential, the State Governor appointed reasonable number of women into his cabinet to serve as an encouragement to the adolescent girls.
He commended the Centre for Girls Education CGE, UNFPA and the Norwegian Government for devoting their time, human and material resources and other forms of sacrifice to improve the social, economic, health and well being of adolescents girls through increased access to education, life skills and development of self confidence.
The Secretary to the State Government Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi who pay glowing tribute to organisers of the event said if Gombe must move forward, both the State and development partners must compliment each other for a holistic human development.
Represented by the Special Adviser to Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya on Budget Planning and Development Partner Coordination Dr. Ishaku Mohammed, the SSG observed that the State under the leadership of Governor Inuwa Yahaya has demonstrated a rare political will towards the empowerment of the girl child
“Gombe State is putting its money where her mouth is. Since the coming of the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya the budget for the Education in the State has increased by over 60 percent”
The Gombe State Programme Officer UNFPA Dr. Bajowa Lanre represented by Dafe Silas said as part of effort to leave no one behind, UNFPA has been supporting initiatives to promote second chance education for adolescent girls including married vulnerable adolescent girls towards their empowerment and reduce their risk and vulnerability to early marriage.
In their separate goodwill messages, the Commissioners of Education Dauda Batari Zambuk, that of health Dr. Habu Dahiru and the Mai Kaltungo Engr Sale Mohammed all threw their weight behind the initiative describing efforts to groom adolescent girls as a noble one.
Highlights of the event was the conferment of an award of excellence on the Mai Kaltungo as Girl child Ambassador and the presentation of instructional and sanitary materials to in and out of school adolescent girls.
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