Full Text: The Opposition Has Lost it, Do Not Be Distracted – CDGS Passes Vote of Confidence in Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya
OVERVIEW: A focused leader should not be distracted by the media brigandry of amateur politicians, just as Winston Churchill echoes “you will never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dog that barks”. The purpose of this press release is to pass a vote of confidence in the purposeful leadership of His Excellency, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, the Executive Governor of Gombe State and to encourage him to pay no attention to his detractors.
This is necessitated by the recent frivolous outbursts of a leading gubernatorial candidate in the person of Muhammad Jibrin Barde of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State who went on air on national television stations and made ridiculous remarks against the sterling performance and personality of His Excellency, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress (APC). It is in this regard that:
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- The Coalition for Development of Gombe State frowns at any display of immaturity, indecorous and scandalous behaviour by all stakeholders in the build up to the 2023 general elections especially in Gombe State urging opposition leaders to campaign on issues.
- With reference to the antecedents of the so called gubernatorial candidate in question, it is not surprising that he has not forgotten his old ways of playing irresponsible politics. It is important to remind him that smear, maligning or calumny campaign against any government of the day, for which he is particularly notorious for, is undeserving and completely unbecoming of a person of his status especially at this point in time.
- It is regrettable to note that few days to the official commencement of campaigns, the opposition candidate has already lost it in the court of public opinion. Instead of engaging electorates meaningfully, by revealing his development plans in a bid to appeal to voters in line with common democratic principles, he has unnecessarily chosen uncouth and uncivilised patterns.
- Records made available by the Debt Management Office (DMO) on its website has laid to rest the major frivolous accusations of financial liabilities amplified by the PDP candidate. His claim that there is no positive development to show in the last three (3) years in Gombe State is also fictitious and unfounded. Dragging His Excellency Governor Inuwa Yahaya to court on flimsy allegations further reveals his desperation to acquire political power by all means without having the wherewithal to discharge it.
- For the records, Governor Inuwa Yahaya has undeniably built a successful, envious and unblemished career with a remarkable track record of excellence, substance, industry and decent pedigree. The records of his work and progression in both the public and private sectors are very much available for all to see and assess. He has not only empowered, employed and supported many, but has equally mentored, groomed and nurtured many others. Any power-hungry politician that has the guts to point an accusing finger on these records shows the height of his unseriousness.
- It is now public knowledge that the PDP candidate has not only undermined, insulted and disserviced the good people of Gombe- whose mandate he seeks, but clearly lacks the basic ethics of leadership and should strongly be advised to jettison his governorship ambition and, in his best interest, urgently enroll into the school of moral philosophy.
- It is in the light of the above, that CDGS wishes to call on His Excellency, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya to remain focused on his development agenda and pay no attention to the deliberate distractions of his adversaries who have already lost it!
SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT: CDGS acknowledges that Gombe State has no doubt moved many steps forward from where it was when Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya assumed office on 29th May, 2019 inheriting myriad of challenges including; debt profile of over 120 billion naira, dilapidated educational and healthcare infrastructure, ill-motivated and dysfunctional civil service, almost total neglect of rural areas and lowincome neighbourhoods, and a host of others.
Being a technocrat, the Governor undertook a holistic Needs Assessment in line with his projections during electioneering and immediately commenced addressing critical sectors. Within just three (3) years of his leadership, CDGS is happy to note that Gombe State has recorded improved healthcare delivery system, quality basic education service, environmental sustainability, rural development, urban renewal, bold institutional reforms, guaranteed social security through social safety nets and general security of lives and property.
The Governor has also launched the visionary 10-year Development Plan (DEVAGOM 2021-2030) which touches on creating a sustainable environment, infrastructure, economic and social development, governance and administration. The plan is fully aligned with the UNSDGs forming the basis for medium-term sector strategy and annual budgeting processes.
THE UNPRECEDENTED PUBLIC SERVICE AND ECONOMIC REFORMS introduced by the Inuwa Yahaya-led administration have enhanced transparency, improved accountability, encouraged service delivery, mitigated dysfunction and tackled corruption. They include:
a) Revised Public Procurement Act.
b) Implemented Treasury Single Account.
c) Established the Bureau for Public Service Reforms (which introduced Biometric attendance and facial recognition system for the public service and has effectively tackled ghost worker syndrome and attendant consequences).
d) Performance at State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS programme attracted 14 Million USD reward from the World Bank).
e) Improved IGR by 25% in 2020 and 62% in 2021 through appropriate taxes and support to MSMEs.
f) Gombe State emerged first place in Ease of Doing Business in Nigeria in 2021 as ranked by the Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council.
g) Reduced inherited liabilities, paid off gratuity and pension arreas of 2.4 billion naira from the inherited 14 billion naira overhang.
h) Committed over 100 Million Naira monthly to offset pension related liabilities.
HIGHLIGHT OF CAMPAIGN PROMISES AND PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT
Out of the over 100 specific campaign promises made by His Excellency, as contained in his 2019 manifesto, over 79% have been successfully achieved within his first two (2) years in office. This is evidently captured in the Midterm scorecard (2019-2021) and the 3rd Year Scorecard and Progress Report of the Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya administration. Both public documents are available at gombestate.gov.ng for all to see and appraise. To separate the wheat from the chaff, let the facts speak for themselves:
EDUCATION
– Education witnesses increased capital allocation of over 60% in 2020 and 2021.
– Construction, renovation and equipping of One Thousand, Three Hundred and Twenty Seven (1,327) classrooms, Four Hundred and Sixty Six (466) blocks across over Two Hundred (200) schools in Gombe State. This is in addition to the over Thirty Thousand, Eight Hundred (30,800) units of classroom furniture and One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Forty (1,840) teachers’ furniture provided. – Mopped up over Three Hundred Thousand (300,000) out of school children.
– Established Six Hundred and Seventy Six (676) nonformal Almajiri learning centres through BESDA.
– Designated five (5) Legacy Secondary Schools (GGSSS Doma, GSSS Kaltungo, GSS Dukku, and GCSS Dadin Kowa) as Special Schools to deliver quality post basic education. Improving senior boarding schools and conception of a Secondary School’s Management Board.
– Established Teachers Resource Centre, Kwami, fully equipped with modern facilities, 145-bed accomodation for trainees, conference hall and ICT laboratory for continuous professional development of teachers. This is already yeilding positive results as WASSCE performance has improved significantly.
HEALTH
– One (1) Primary Healthcare centre in each of the 114 wards in Gombe has been renovated, in some cases constructed, and provided with basic equipment, solar power and boreholes.
– Gombe State Specialist Hospital has been upgraded to a modern health facility with MDCN accreditation to train intern doctors.
– Complete upgrade of one (1) General Hospital in each of the three (3) Senatorial Districts; Bajoga, Kumo, Kaltungo.
– Established the Gombe State Hospital’s Management Board.
– Established Gombe State Contributory Healthcare Scheme (GoHealth) with target of reducing financial barriers to accessing essential healthcare. Already enrolled over 25,000 poor and vulnerable persons under the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund as at 2021.
INFRASTRUCTURE
– Achieved water supply of over 50 million litres to Gombe metropolis daily. Awarded the rural water supply project totaling 11 Billion Naira. Drilled over 300 boreholes across the 11 LGAs.
– Ongoing Construction of 1000 ha, Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park at Dadin Kowa, strategically located around the 40MW hydroelectric power plant with huge irrigation potentials to attract local and international investment, create jobs and boost the economy.
In addition to so many other development programmes such as the Gombe Goes Green and Network 11-100 projects, and others currently being done in agriculture, youth and women empowerment, welfare packages and prompt payments of emoluments among many other well meaning projects too numerous to mention that are directly impacting the common man, this is only the tip of the iceberg.
With satisfaction, the Coalition for Development of Gombe State (CDGS) is confident in the transformative leadership of *His Excellency, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya (Dan Majen Gombe)*. The Coalition is therefore pledging total support for his second term bid, as one good turn deserves another.
Signed: Coalition for Development of Gombe State (CDGS)
18TH AUGUST, 2022
Bauchi Road, Gombe.
