In observance of Gombe’s place in history

In all of social order, the major abridgement and curtailment to the most-needed advancement has been the poor quality of leaders. It’s generally undeniable that democracy as the famous system of governance has been short of  commitment, devotion and sincerity of purpose especially in our climes. But it is certain that where a leader is […]

In all of social order, the major abridgement and curtailment to the most-needed advancement has been the poor quality of leaders. It’s generally undeniable that democracy as the famous system of governance has been short of  commitment, devotion and sincerity of purpose especially in our climes. But it is certain that where a leader is emboldened with      determination and zeal to deliver, given the state of our people’s hopelessness,  expectations would  be high and the attitude would be that of caution, on the part of the citizenry.

With the change mantra comes a new hope, and given that political party affiliations are something else, records of performance become the yardstick for choosing leaders. This scenario puts Gombe State, where Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo holds sway, in spotlight. He has been one of the few Nigerian leaders who keeps the people’s hopes alive, probably the reason why the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) still remains strong there.

Dankwambo, an accomplished accountant, having risen to the peak in Nigeria, has become a household name. It’s no doubt that  the tenure of the  Talban Gombe  as the Accountant General of the Federation, was one sojourn, based on his administrative inventiveness that stabilised a Federal government that was drifting then. The policies and financial strategies he had adopted for prudence and transparency in Nigeria’s financial system, has been a singular record that is yet to be oustshined.

The people were wise and they decided to call home to help rediscover the state drifting into an abyss. Of course, they were others, even within the same PDP. It did not matter, as the people knew where they were coming from, where they were and where they want to go. For this confidence reposed in him, Dankwambo chose not to disappoint.

For the first four years as the Governor of Gombe State, Dankwambo has showed that secured the state from the stranglehold of political thuggery, neutralised the dreaded Yan Kalare group. He did this because he said development of the state can only take place in a very peaceful and harmonious atmosphere, a feat carried out without necessarily hurting anyone.

And then he got down to the business of delivering dividends of democracy. He began opening up the once-landlocked hinterlands that accommodated the state-dominated peasant farmers by opening up more roads for easy transportation of perishable farm produce. Of course, the farmers, coupled with their unfettered access to other agriculture imputs, were more than happy for this.

In Gombe State, education as the bedrock of economic and societal  development, has been accorded maximum priority as according to the Talban Gombe; education is the number one priority, education is the number two priority and also education is the number three priority of his administration. This has led to the construction of various model primary and secondary schools while dilapidated structures have been renovated and equipped.

These are really ambitious projects to be realised. And they all demand huge resources to make them practicable. Soon the committees would submit reports, and Gombe State would be better off when these institutions are fully operational, because they would be supply the needed skilled manpower to drive the state on the path of socio-economic development. And that is what will continue to define Gombe’s place in history.

Philips writes from Gombe.