Development strides of NEDC excite Gombe stakeholders 

By Chima Azubuike

No fewer than 57 projects are currently been executed in Gombe State under the sponsorship of North-East Development Commission. These projects cut across Education, Healthcare delivery, 500 housing unit and so on.

The list include:

•Construction of Academic block of 16 classroom, 6 laboratories at GSS Dukku

•Provision of Solar powered street light in Federal College of Education Technical Gombe

•Construction of One (1) block of three (3) classrooms in Nafada LGA of Gombe State

•Supply of School Furniture to Dukku and Kwami LGA of Gombe State

•Construction of one (1) block of Three (3) classrooms in three locations of Gombe, Kwami & Yamaltu-Deba LGAs of Gombe State

•Construction of Five (5) blocks (76-80) of Four (4) units of Two (2) Bedroom houses in Gombe State

•Construction of Five (5) blocks (116-120) of Four (4) units of Two (2) Bedroom houses in Gombe State

Leading a board of the Commission on an inspection across some of the sites, the Chairman; General Paul Tarfa (retd.), and Managing Director; Mohammed Goni Alkali, in their separate remarks expressed optimism that the construction would be completed in record time.

Others involved in the tour include Gambo Maikomo, member; Abdullahi Abbas member; Steven Tsav member; Mutiu Lawal-Areh Member; Samuel Onuigbo, member; Frank Owhor, member; Musa Yashi, Executive Director Humanitarian Affairs; Ahmed Yahaya, Executive Director, Operations, and Abubakar Iliya, Executive Director Admin and Finance.

At the Trauma Centre of Federal Teaching Hospital Gombe, the Chief Medical Director Dr Yusuf Abdullahi, lauded the intervention of the Commission, in erecting the centre which he said would contribute to service delivery of the Federal facility.

Abdullahi noted that aside the centre the Commission recently donated a generator which has improved the quality of service in the hospital, adding that as pivotal as FTH is it lacked functional centre until the intervention.

Our correspondent reports that a Trauma care treat patients that have critical injuries threatening life or limbs. These severely injured patients often require multi-disciplinary, comprehensive emergency medical services.

“This is just one of your interventions you also donated molecular laboratory, donated 500KVA generator and provided us diesel 10,000 litres and completion of ENT complex,” Abdullahi said.

 

He disclosed that with deliberate effort to surge the gaps in healthcare as deployed by the Commission brain drain would be a thing of the past.

Earlier, General Tarfa at the Government House told Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, that he brought the entire board for the sake of farmiliarising, since the second board has only three old timers with the rest being new.

 

He said, “the purpose of our being here first and foremost is for you to meet members of the new board which to an extent is very new; apart from the three of us, all others are new.

“We have started infrastructural development in Gombe like the other states, some have been completed while others are ongoing. The purpose is to see to what has been done and to again decide what next we shall do in collaboration with you Your Excellency.”

While enumerating the efforts of NEDC, the Chairman said the Commission was not oblivious of the challenges experienced by residents, adding that “our target is to support all the six states by providing palliatives, infrastructure. The Federal Government is doing its best we have been appointed to help working closely with governors of the North-East zone beginning with Gombe the centre of the region. It a privilege for me not only to introduce the first board but members of the second board of NEDC.”

On his part, the MD Alkali, noted that the Commission usually works with stakeholders which informed NEDC’s visit, describing governors as critical stakeholders to its numerous development strides.

North-East has six stakeholders in six states, adding that “the idea is to harmonise our interventions so that we will all reach the same outcome as expected.”

While commending the board for its development strides in the state, Yahaya urged the Commission to work based on its 10-year-development Agenda, saying “I believe NEDC had it master plan that provides for the road map as to how it wants to actualise its objectives. I think if we join the two our aspirations and yearnings are about the same which will uplift our people and forget the differences that caused the dislocation, dislodgement that the people are facing.”

Also, the board was at the Emir of Gombe palace where it donated bus to the emirate to support its activities.

Receiving the board Alhaji Abubakar Shehu-Abubakar III, commended the returning members, and welcomed the new set, saying that their appointment displays the confidence of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration .

He said, “As people of the North-East region the task before us is significant which is rebuilding the North-East after years of insurgency it is therefore our collective responsibility to put our region on the part of prosperity and progress. The North-East region is blessed with immense potentials I believe the commission will work closely with our state governors towards ensuring development. As Emir of Gombe I have been following the activities of North-East Development Commission in the areas of Education, Healthcare, Agriculture, Youth empowerment, Poverty Alleviation, Road Infrastructure. I commend the Commission for its meaningful intervention in our people.”

Alkali while presenting the bus said the Chairman asked that the board should present horse to the Emir, signifying royalty, adding that, “Since time didn’t permit that I go to Maiduguri to get horse, because Maiduguri has the best of horses, we decided to bring a horse powered by engine to alleviate the transportation system of the palace.”