…Expresses Satisfaction with Quality of Work, Teaching, Learning
Says ” We have Succeeded in Changing the Negative Narratives in Basic Education”
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya earlier today paid on the spot assessment visits to some completed and ongoing projects in Government Science Secondary School Gombe, Government Girls Secondary School Doma and Government Comprehensive Day Secondary School Dadinkowa.
The Schools inspected are among the five Secondary Schools slated for conversion into model institutions of learning by the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya to curb the needless establishment of mushroom colleges across the State.
At the Government Science Secondary School Gombe, which was the Governor’s first port of call, the Commissioner of Education, Dauda Batari Zambuk told the state chief executive that since the establishment of the premier institution no meaningful intervention was accorded to the school other than the one currently being undertaken by his administration.
The Commissioner conducted the Governor, in company of top Government functionaries round the newly built and furnished 160 bed capacity hostel constructed at the premises of GSSS Gombe which will accommodate students of its junior section.
Impressed by the quality of work at the hostel, Governor Inuwa Yahaya called on the school authorities to ensure proper maintenance of the facility by ensuring that no students are allowed to use unauthorized items such as electric cookers and stoves.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya equally inspected the renovated staff quarters and a 5.7 hectares of land to be used for the construction of state of the art structures for the soon to be established model school. The plot is already fenced by the Government to avoid encroachment.
The Governor who expressed dissatisfaction with the level of encroachment on the school’s property said his administration will not tolerate such trespass.
He also observed with concern the gullies threatening the topography of surrounding lands in the institution, saying while his administration takes steps to address problems associated with the erosion, the School authority must encourage students to plant trees so as to provide vegetational cover to the exposed land.
While in Government Girls Secondary School Doma, the Governor inspected a newly constructed two storey building consisting of 24 classrooms.
Governor Yahaya who expressed happiness with gradual upscale in performance of the students if Gombe state in external examinations, said the State of Emergency declared by his administration on the Education sector presupposes that institutions of learning at the basic level must be transformed to meet the challenges of the 21st century.
In Government Comprehensive Secondary School Dadinkowa, the Governor inspected the newly renovated structures at the institution which were left in complete dilapidation and dire condition for many years.
Addressing students there, Governor Inuwa Yahaya advised them to take their studies seriously, be of good behaviour and obey their teachers, parents and constituted authorities.
He assured them that his administration will do everything necessary to change the structural and intellectual narrative of their school and the education sector in general.
In an interview with journalists, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya said he decided to embark on the inspection visit alongside members of his cabinet in order to have a first hand information on interventions so far accorded to schools in the state.
He expressed satisfaction with the level and quality of work at the three secondary schools visited, saying the days where ‘students compete for space with bats and rodents in schools are over’.
“By what I saw today, I am convinced that we are on course and this school has changed and is not only this school, you are aware that we declared a state of emergency in education and so far we have worked alot in basic education sector by putting up classrooms, laboratories, libraries and necessary infrastructure needed for good and sound quality education and I can say that we have succeeded in changing the negative narrative hitherto associated with especially the basic education in Gombe state”.
The Governor said he hoped to see Gombe state at the forefront in terms of high quality education in Nigeria, saying that has been his objective and that the state Government under his leadership will not relent until the goal of repositioning the education sector for effective and efficient service delivery is achieved.
Ismaila Uba Misilli Director-General ( Press Affairs) Government House Gombe
After two years in the saddle, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has recorded many firsts in governance and has bagged many awards, including Man of the Year from four different Newspapers in different sectors. Under his watch, Gombe State however added yet another first recently when it was adjudged the best in Ease of Doing Business by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC).
The Council, headed by the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Prof Yemi Osinbajo, is a status report podium on the current attractiveness of states’ business climates for small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs).
Gombe is followed by Sokoto, Jigawa and Akwa Ibom States which ranked 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively. This subnational survey methodology framework was developed by the PEBEC-NEC Technical Working Group comprising representation from six states embodying the six geopolitical zones, the NEC (National Economic Council) Secretariat, Nigerian Governors Forum, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the Nigerian Summit Group and other private sector representatives.
Since his assumption of office at a time the economy of the state, and indeed that of the country in general, was already struggling to stay afloat in the murky waters of economic doldrums, Governor Yahaya’s exceptional business acumen which accounted for his phenomenal success in his private businesses has been brought to bear in the governance of Gombe.
Although he inherited a humongous debt profile left behind by the immediate past administration in the State, Inuwa Yahaya was undaunted having overturned several challenging situations like that in the past and always making huge successes out of all.
It was definitely a dire situation for Gombe State, considering its low-standing Internally Generated Revenue IGR status and its unfavourable position as second to the last State on the nation’s statutory allocation log.
But no sooner Governor Yahaya settled down to tackle these problems head on than the novel Coronavirus Pandemic set in, destroying literally global economies, particularly Nigeria’s ailing economy to which Gombe State is an integral part of. As it were elsewhere, this pandemic brought to a complete halt the attention of the Gombe State government on other sectors of the economy in order to channel all energy and resources towards containing the virus.
Today,the story is different as a great deal of the challenges associated with the novel Coronavirus Pandemic have since been addressed brilliantly by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa bringing back to reckoning, the social, infrastructural and economic vision and mission his administration has for the State.
To this end, Governor Inuwa Yahaya has triggered a robust 10-year Development Plan otherwise known as Development Agenda for Gombe – DEVAGOM.
This plan is basically aimed at positioning the State as a beacon for socio-economic infrastructural and cultural development, while making Gombe State a destination haven for investors.
To achieve these lofty initiatives contained in the plan, the APC administration in Gombe State came up with an ambitious project known as the “Network 11-100” which targets the construction of at least one hundred kilometres of road in each of the eleven Local Government Areas of State because it is the conviction of the Governor that road network plays a pivotal role in opening up a society for economic growth and development. Also, in its firm belief that health is wealth and a healthy nation is a wealthy nation, the Gombe State government wasted no time in embarking on the construction and revitalization of Primary Health Care Centres, PHCs across the 114 political wards of the State. This is in addition to the complete overhaul and upgrade of the State Specialist hospital Gombe. Today every ward in the State can boost of a functional PHC operating 24 hours with the compliment of solar system to generate energy at the facility and boreholes to supply water.
On the transport sector, the administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya on coming into office approved the procurement of 50 Toyota Hummer buses to be used by the Gombe state transport service, known as Gombe Line. The immediate approval for the procurement of the buses came at the heat of public outcry on condition of the Gombe line buses. However, the State owned Transport Company is currently doing credibly well, providing services to commuters travelling to different parts of the country.
In the same vein, the Gombe State government, under the leadership of Governor Inuwa Yahaya, embarked on a sweeping and wide ranging reform to block financial leakages, ensure prudence in Government spending as well as breaking all forms of administrative bottlenecks in the system. From the establishment of the Gombe Geographic Information Systems ( GOGIS) in an effort to digitize, manage land matters effectively to the new tax regime in the state.
Perhaps, the above measures and other world class business models introduced by the ebullient and effervescent Governor Inuwa Yahaya made Gombe to outclass other states on the Ease of Doing Business medal table.
It is not surprising at all to see Inuwa Yahaya giving tacit encouragement and support to small and medium scale industries. The Gombe State Government has reorganised the Gombe industrial cluster in BCGA by providing them access to financial services and building infrastructure such as road networks to ease the movement of goods and services in the area.
The political sagacity cum economic dexterity of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya can be better appreciated in his conceptualisation of the Gombe Industrial Park in Dadinkowa Yalmatu Deba Local Government Area of the State. The Industrial Park is standing on a 1000 hectres of land with the compliment of 40-megawatt hydroelectricity in Dadinkowa Dam. The industrial Park is expected to revolutionise the agricultural sector which is the main occupation of the State.
Furthermore, Inuwa Yahaya has been able to sustain a relative peace and tranquility uncommon in the North East of Nigeria. This relative peace is perhaps the most fundamental factor that placed the State at a vantage position to be ranked first in the country with the favourable conditions for doing business.
All these efforts by the APC led Government in Gombe State aptly captured the parameters used by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) and won the committee’s heart.
This subnational survey methodology framework was developed by the PEBEC-NEC Technical Working Group comprising representation from six states embodying the six geopolitical zones, the NEC (National Economic Council) Secretariat, Nigerian Governors Forum, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the Nigerian Summit Group and other private sector representatives. PEBEC has developed a homegrown indicators used in the survey which are; infrastructure and security, transparency and access to information, regulatory environment and skills and workforce readiness. Each state was rated on a ten-point scale across the indicators, which provided the basis for calculating the overall performance of the state. The field survey was conducted by KPMG Professional Services between November 2020 and January, 2021.
The survey captured the reforms baseline enabling each state’s Ease of Doing Business Council to craft their own reform agenda and implementation roadmap based on empirical data and feedback from a cross section of 998 SMEs across the 36 states and the FCT. A breakdown of the result showed that on security, Gombe scored 5.86 in Electricity, 5.86 in Transportation, Primary Healthcare 7.50 and Security, 7.99, with an average score of 6.80. In Transparency and Access to Information, the state scored 9.35 in Investment Promotion and 8.69 in State Information Structures, with an average score of 9.02. In regulatory environment, it scored 5.75 in paying taxes, 8.21 in Starting a Business, 6.44 in Enforcing Contracts and 7.64 in Land, Property Acquisition and Development. Its average was 7.01.
In Skill and Labour, Gombe scored 7.94 in Technical and Professional Skills. The cumulative average of the state was 7.69, shooting it to the top of the list of states with the best enabling environment for doing business in the country.
Like Dr. Ibrahim Hameed noted in a recent article, that the ease of doing business survey was an indication of the suitability and attractiveness of a state to both local and international investors, implying that the more the state improves its business regulatory environment the more it attracts investment and achieve sustainable growth, creates jobs and reduces poverty which results in the rise in standard of living of the state populous which is a key in delivering the dividend of democracy and good governance.
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya had while reacting to the development, attributed the attainment of the feat to a clear demonstration of his administration’s commitment to good governance which has culminated in comprehensive reforms in land administration, financial management, revenue administration and the massive infrastructural development that are critical to doing business.
“Noteworthy is the drastic reduction in transaction time for processing land title and ease of payment of taxes as captured in the harmonised Gombe State revenue law. In addition, the clear and purposeful drive in vocational and technical education, as well as support to SMEs, have ensured the upgrading of the skills of the youthful population of Gombe State”, he said.
The Governor assured citizens of Gombe of his determination to sustain the tempo, while acknowledging the hard work by the public service in making these achievements happen. He expressed belief that the successes recorded so far are also part of the dividend of his administration’s comprehensive reforms in the civil service.
With the tempo of hard work and massive support enjoyed presently by the Inuwa Yahaya administration it is quite clear that sooner than later, more national and International recognitions are on the way of the Governor and the Jewel in the Savannah.
– Misilli is Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House, Gombe
….. As project targets 100,000 Vulnarable Children, Youths in the State.
The Secretary to the Gombe State Government Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi says the groundbreaking ceremony of the At-Risk Children by Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya speaks of the level of commitment the Governor has for children and youths in the State.
Professor Njodi stated this while reacting to the flag off of the project in Gombe, designed to provide a multi-pronged approach for the rehabilitation and reintegration of vulnerable children to support them attain their full potentials.
He said been the first to inaugurate the project in the country, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has demonstrated leadership and the zeal to protect disadvantaged children and to engage the youth in meaningful developmental ventures in the State.
“I am confident that the flag off of the At-risk Children Project in the State will not only help in protecting children from unnecessary molestation and abuse but also shield them and by extension the youth from been lured into crimes and criminality”.
Professor Njodi called on citizens of the State and beneficiaries to utilize opportunities associated with the project for the good and betterment of their individual selves, their families and the entire society.
Earlier Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya had while performing the groundbreaking ceremony said project will target at least 100,000 children and youth across the 11 LGAs to constructively live a life of dignity by providing them with necessary skills that would enable them harness their potentials and energies for the overall development of our State.
While Congratulating the beneficiaries, Njodi commend the Federal Government initiative of such a Program calling for the support of all and sundry.
Joshua Danmalam Information Officer SSG’S office.22/6/21
…Targets 100,000 Vulnarable Children, Youths in the State to Benefit from Project
…As G- STEP Scheme Kicks off in Gombe
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has performed the groundbreaking ceremony of the At-Risk Children Project ( ARC-P) in the State.
ARC-P is an initiative designed to provide a multi-pronged approach for the rehabilitation and reintegration of vulnerable children to support them attain their full potentials.
Performing the exercise at the Banquet Hall of the Government House, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya said the launching of At-Risk-Children Project (ARC-P) in the state will go a long way in giving the vulnerable children a sense of belonging.
The Governor said it was not a coincidence that the national launching of the At- Risk Children project took place in Gombe State, because according to him, with the signing of MoU with the ARC-P, his administration’s target was to further support at least 100,000 children and youth across the 11 LGAs to constructively live a life of dignity by providing them with necessary skills that would enable them harness their potentials and energies for the overall development of our state.
“Furthermore, out of our desire to tackle the problems of youth unemployment, we established a database for unemployed graduates in the state and so far we have registered over 17,000 job seekers and we are making concerted efforts to link them with necessary jobs that match their skills and training. The availability of this database put us ahead of other states in the selection of the pilot state for this project”.
“Through this partnership, we shall equally train and engage not less than 2,000 youth for the enforcement of environmental sanitation and protection as well as road traffic regulations in the first phase of the project”.
“In order to address these issues, the federal government through the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment came up with the At-Risk-Children Project (ARC-P) alongside other social intervention programmes so as to mop up these children and young adults from the streets and give them opportunities to realize their full potentials through a number of mechanisms being implemented at the state and local government areas level”.
Addressing this phenomenon, Governor Inuwa Yahaya maintained, will help to reduce poverty and insecurity while also providing solutions to the health, educational and social challenges facing these demographic group.
“On our part, our administration has keyed into all existing social intervention programmes and introduced new initiatives tailored towards finding and implementing local solutions to address the menace of out-of-school children, reduce poverty and provide job opportunities to our teeming youth. So far, we have mopped up over 300,000 out-of-school children and returned them back to classrooms.
Similarly, we have established 290 girl-child non-formal learning centres across all the LGAs and enrolled about 47,126 girl-child. Our girl-child skills acquisition programme has seen us training over 3,000 girls on beads making, bakery and cosmetology and provided them with starter packs to enable them engage in decent means of livelihood”.
He explained that his administration recently conducted an enumeration through the Better Education and Service Delivery for All (BESDA) project where it was estimated that there are over 700,000 out-of-school children spread across all the 11 Local Government Areas of the State, a statistics he noted was above the UNICEF’s estimated figure of about 550,000.
“The Almajiri system as practiced today is characterised by child neglect, abuse, social exclusion and chronic poverty thus churning out young people with little or no formal education and lacking employable skills thereby posing significant social and economic challenges to themselves, the government and the society at large”.
“To add to this, our girl-child population are mostly exposed to street hawking, child labour and often end up in commercial domestic services rather than pursuit of formal education in a bit to provide livelihood to their families. This exposes them to sexual exploitation and various degrees of gender-based violence”
Other categories of vulnerable children whose plight still remains of great concern to governments, the Governor said, include drug and substance users, child hawkers and labourers and a growing population of unemployed young adults, saying these young people often become easy targets for recruitment into armed groups including violent religious extremism and insurgency.
He said in order to domesticate the convention on the rights of the child, his administration has drafted the child rights bill which is presently before the state house of assembly and has passed second reading.
The Governor said when passed into Law, it will provide the necessary legal framework for social protection in general and protect the rights of children in the state.
He said in order to facilitate the smooth take-off of the project, his administration has provided a befitting office accommodation, deployed relevant competent staff and appointed a project advisory committee to oversee the implementation of the interventions in the state.
“Our administration shall continue to partner with all relevant national and international organizations, development partners, traditional institutions, the civil society and religious groups in order to bring an end to the menace of out-of-school children and youth joblessness in Gombe State”.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya use the event to express his appreciation to President Muhammadu Buhari for introducing the ARC-P and the Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment Mrs Maryam Uwais for her doggedness and commitment in ensuring the project kicks off in the State.
He equally thanked Barrister Sani Ahmad Haruna, the Special Adviser on Human Capital Development for working tirelessly to put the necessary structures that will enable the State implement the project in the state.
The Special Adviser to the President on Social Investment and National Coordinator of At-Risk Children Project, Hajiya Maryam Uwais commended Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for being the first in the country to attract the implementation of the Project in the State.
She described the support and the enthusiasm displayed by the government and people of the State towards successful implementation of the ARC Project as incredible and one action that will lead to the success of the project.
Earlier in an address of welcome, the chief of staff, Government House Gombe Abubakar Inuwa Kari said the scope of the At-Risk Children Project designed to protect the lives of children and the youth is one laudable initiative deserving of any responsible government.
He said the sincere and collective effort of all and sundry is needed to achieve the aims and objectives of the project which is aimed at giving disadvantaged children a new lease of life.
In a good will message Dr. Tusha Rani, the Chief of Bauchi Field Office of UNICEF said no child deserves to be exposed to unnecessary molestation and abuse and therefore praised the Gombe State Government for championing a bill for the protection of the rights of the child.
The event was also used for the official presentation of members of the Gombe Security, Traffic and Environmental Protection (G-STEP).
GSTEP is expected to engage 2000 youths across the State in the maintenance of security, traffic control and environmental protection.
Also speaking, the Project Coordinator and Special Adviser to the Governor on human capital development, Barr. Sani Ahmed said Gombe state was able to access a clean data of 500 from DFAM and 2000 data from MotherHen Development Foundation with a total number of 1,436 from oil millers, Baitul Arus, Gombe Youths and Women, Drug Abuse NGO; DAECO, Federal College of Education Technical, Electrical/ Tech, Federal College of Horticulture Dadinkowa, and Leather work beneficiaries were captured in the ARC- P database.
Ismaila Uba Misilli Director-General ( Press Affairs) Government House Gombe
… As Chief scribe donates washable and reusable sanitary pad to students of GGSS Tula.
The Secretary to the State Government Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi has restated the present administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s commitment to the welfare of the Girl Child.
Professor Njodi stated this when he donated washable and re-useable sanitary pads to Students of Governments Girls Secondary School Tula assuring them that he will not spare efforts in ensuring that every girl Child in the State get Support to quality livelihood.
Represented by Gombe South APC Chairman Alhaji Musa Hassan Awak, Professor Njodi advised Students to remain Committed to their studies stating that Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s led Governments is doing everything possible to ease their Educational pursuit.
While assuring them of his support to quality Education of Children in the State, the SSG promised sponsoring best performing Students to futher their studies.
Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi who is the Champion of Father for Daughters initiatives in the State made the donation through a Non- Governmental Organization, Responsible Citizenship and Human Development Initiative said the gesture is targeted at indigent Students who hardly afford safe Sanitary Packs.
The Executive Director of Centre for Responsible Citizenship and Human Development Initiative Mrs Dudu Manuga said the donation is at the instance of the Secretary to the State Government Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi which is part of his continued support to the wellbeing of the Girl Child especially those in Schools.
Mrs Manuga who lectured Students on the negative impact of Gender Based Violence (GBV) charge them to be vigilant and ensure reporting Perpetrators to relevant authorities for prompt action.
She disclosed that, the State House of Assembly is looking into a bill against Gender Base Violence GBV especially rape proposing castration and life Jail term for offenders.
Appreciating the gesture, the Principal of the School Mrs Aishatu Ismaila Commended Professor Njodi for the gesture calling on the Students to make good use of the items donated to improve their health status.
The occasion featured demostration on how to use the Washable and Re-userable three in one Pack Sanitary Pad which is expected to last the user for one year.
Joshua Danmalam Information Officer SSG’S office. 21/6/2021
The ranking of Gombe State as the overall best in ease of doing business in the country did not come as a suprise considering the background of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa as a prudent manager of resources and an incorruptible leader with a track record, especially as a game changer.
On assumption of office, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya assured the people of Gombe State of his desire to transform the State in all facets of life endeavours ranging from Infrastructural Development, Maintenance of peace and Security for businesses to thrive, Health Care delivery Services among others.
These among other areas of human interest were and are still been given accelerated attention by the Inuwa Yahaya’s administration which has eventually seen the repositioning of the social and economic potential of the State thereby attracting praises from within and outside the State.
By this leadership disposition, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is no doubt fulfilling his campaign promises to the people of Gombe State who gave him the mandate of steering the ship of the State.
Without fear of contradiction, the conceptualisation of policies and Programmes of the present administration through Sectoral Committees also helped in shaping activities of Government, through the appointment and placement of experience and competent persons in key roles to drive government business which has contributed immensely to achievements so far recorded in the last two years.
Another significant factor was Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s major reforms in Public Service, Financial Management, Human resource management and tax reforms with with present allocation of scares resources in a transparent manner resulting to good governance.
Similarly, in his sheer demonstration of leadership Governor Inuwa Yahaya activated the partnership strategy with both local and International development Partners and this has shown in the development of health, education, environmental, Agriculture and Water resource management which has equally provided the needed environment for investment and economic growth.
The outcome of the Ease of Doing Business Survey which placed the State top among its peers by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council ( PEBEC) as a State report on current attractiveness of State business climate can be attributed to various reforms and developmental stride of Governor Yahaya’s administration.
The Sub- national Survey Methodology framework development by the PEBEC – NEC technical working group which comprised representation of the Six Geo- Political Zones of the Country, the National Economic Council, the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, Nigerian Bureau of statistics, Nigerian investment Promotion Commission, Nigerian Expert Promotion Council, the Nigerian Summit group and representatives of the Private sector has actually given credence to the result which placed the State first in the Country in terms of Ease of Doing Business.
The Survey which covers a number of areas include; infrastructure, Security, Electricity, Transportation, Primary Health Care, Access to Information, Investment Promotion and State information structure.
Other areas covered by the survey includes; environmental regulation, Payment of tax, starting of business, enforcement of Contracts agreements, Land administration, Property Acquisition and development among others.
While Congratulating Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and the entire people of the state for this great achievements and which is first of it’s kind since the creation of the State some two decades ago, Njodi harped the need for all to key into the vision and mission of the APC led Government with more support and understanding for a better Gombe State can not be overemphasized.
In the mean time, the Secretary to the State Government felicitated with Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and the entire People of Gombe State for the successes recorded that manifested in ranking the State top in Ease of Doing Business in the Country calling for more Support in building and sustaining the conducive atmosphere laid for futher development of a prosperous Gombe State.
Joshua Danmalam Information Officer SSG’S office 19/6/21
Gombe Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is elated with the re-appointment of Hajiya Amina J. Mohammed as the United Nations Deputy Secretary General for a second term of five years.
In a congratulatory message, Governor Yahaya said the re-appointment of Hajiya Amina is a clear recognition of her immense contribution in support of the Secretary General’s agenda in global peace, security and development.
He described her as a proud daughter of Gombe and an excellent role model for women the world over who has distinguished herself in both public and private sectors.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya acknowledged Hajiya Amina’s role in the development of Gombe State, describing her as a source of inspiration and hope for the state, Nigeria and Africa as a whole.
” We in Gombe state are excited with the re- appointment of our illustrious daughter, Hajiya Amina as the UN Deputy Secretary General. We commend the UN Secretary General, António Guterres for this consideration.
“As we work towards addressing the many challenges facing our dear state, we are going to count on Hajiya Amina’s extensive network, unique expertise and experience in the field of global development. We are proud of the work she’s doing at the UN and we look forward to a more robust collaboration with the global body to promote inclusive growth and sustainable partnerships”.
The Governor, on behalf of the Government and people of Gombe state congratulated the UN DSG for being found worthy for re-appointment and charged her to continue to bring pride and honour to the Jewel state, Nigeria and Africa as well as keep on with the remarkable trajectory, assuring her of the support and solidarity of the Government and good people of Gombe state as she continues with the onerous task.
An illustrious daughter of Gombe, Amina J Mohammed is a development expert par excellence who has great passion around issues of poverty, women, children and youths.
She had served as the special adviser to former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on post-2015 development planning, which focused on the 2030 agenda for sustainable development goals.
Previously, she was Nigeria’s Minister of Environment from 2015 to 2016 and was a key player in the Post-2015 Development Agenda process.
Ismaila Uba Misilli Director-General ( Press Affairs) Government House Gombe
…Governor Yahaya Welcomes Development, Says Gombe’s number 1 spot a manifestation of good governance in the state Gombe State has been ranked first among states that have provided attractive environments that promote business growth in Nigeria.
This was contained in a result of the State Ease of Doing Business Survey undertaken by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) as a status report on the current attractiveness of states business climates for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).
Gombe is followed by Sokoto, Jigawa and Akwa Ibom States who ranked 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively.
The subnational survey methodology framework was developed by the PEBEC-NEC Technical Working Group comprising representation from six states embodying the six geopolitical zones, the NEC (National Economic Council) Secretariat, Nigerian Governors Forum, the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics, the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission, the Nigerian Export Promotion Council, the Nigerian Summit Group and other private sector representatives.
The PEBEC and NEC are chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
The homegrown indicators used in the survey are infrastructure and security, transparency and access to information, regulatory environment and skills and workforce readiness.
Each state was rated on a ten-point scale across the indicators, which provided the basis for calculating the overall performance of the state.
The field survey was conducted by KPMG Professional Services between November 2020 and January, 2021.
The survey captured the reforms baseline enabling each state’s ease of doing business council to craft their own reform agenda and implementation roadmap based on empirical data and feedback from a cross section of 998 SMEs across the 36 states and the FCT.
A breakdown of the result showed that out of an average of in Infrastructure and Security, Gombe scored 5.86 in Electricity, 5.86 in Transportation, Primary Healthcare 7.50 and Security, 7.99, with an average score of 6.80.
In Transparency and Access to Information, the state scored 9.35 in Investment Promotion and 8.69 in State Information Structures, with an average score of 9.02.
In regulatory environment, it scored 5.75 in paying taxes, 8.21 in Starting a Business, 6.44 in Enforcing Contracts and 7.64 in Land, Property Acquisition and Development. Its average was 7.01.
Lastly, in Skill and Labour, Gombe scored 7.94 in Technical and Professional Skills.
The cumulative average of the state was 7.69, shooting it to the top of the list of states with the best enabling environment for doing business in the country.
Reacting to the development, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya said the attainment of this feat is a clear demonstration of his administration’s commitment to Good Governance which has culminated in comprehensive reforms in land administration, financial management, revenue administration and the massive infrastructural development that are critical to doing business.
“Noteworthy is the drastic reduction in transaction time for processing land title and ease of payment of taxes as captured in the harmonised revenue law. In addition, the clear and purposeful drive in vocational and technical education, as well as support to SMEs, have ensured the upgrading of the skills of the youthful population of Gombe State”.
The Governor assured of his determination to sustain the tempo, while acknowledging the hard work by the public service in making this happen. He expressed belief that the success recorded is also part of the dividend of his administration’s comprehensive reforms in the civil service.
Ismaila Uba Misilli Director-General ( Press Affairs) Government House Gombe
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has commiserated with the Chairman of Dukku Local Government Council, Alhaji Jamilu Ahmed Shabewa over the demise of his wife, Hajiya Maryam who died yesterday after a brief illness.
In his condolence message, the Governor said he received with sadness the news of the passing of the late Hajiya Maryam, describing the deceased as a humble and committed house wife, mother and family pillar who played significant role in the upbringing of her children and in keeping the family happy.
Governor Yahaya, on behalf of the Government and people of Gombe state, extended his deep condolences to the family of Alhaji Jamilu Shabewa and the entire people of Dukku Local Government area over the sorrowful loss, praying Almighty Allah to grant the deceased Aljannat Firdaus.
Ismaila Uba Misilli Director-General ( Press Affairs) Government House Gombe
…. As Community Pledges Support to Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s administration.
The District Head of Gundale in Kaltungo Chiefdom Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu has Confered on the Secretary to the Gombe State Government Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi the traditional title of MAKAMAN GUNDALE in recognition of his Contributions to the development of the State.
Presenting the letter of appointment to the SSG, Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu implore the new Makaman Gundale to extend the goodwill of his district to the State Government saying his area is in dire need of social amenities.
The District Head futher commended Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for the choice of Professor Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi maitaining that his disposition to the Community development has endeared him the tittle.
Alhaji Ibrahim Aliyu also expressed the hope that the Conferment of the tittle will create the opportunity for the recipient to redouble effort towards the service of humanity pledging the support and cooperation of the People of Gundale.
Responding to the appointment, Professor Njodi appreciated the District Head for the recognition pledging to Contribute more for the development of the area.
Professor Njodi who was elated with the honour assured that he will soon pay a visit to the District Head with the aim of discussing possible needs of the People for attention.
While urging the people to be patient with Government, Professor Njodi called for concerted Prayers for peace in the State and Country as a gurantee for development.
Joshua Danmalam Information Officer SSG’S office. 15/6/21
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