The Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Dr Manassah Daniel Jatau, has received on a courtesy visit, the District Governor of Rotary International District 9127, Rotarian Sikiru Adetona Owonikoko alongside members of Rotary Club of Gombe City.
The visit which formed part of the District Governor’s statutory engagements with Rotary clubs and stakeholders, also provided an opportunity for the delegation to pay a condolence visit to the Mai Kaltungo, Engineer Saleh Mohammed, following the recent demise of his wife.
Addressing the visiting team, Dr. Manassah Jatau called on the Rotary International to expand its humanitarian interventions across Gombe State through increased membership, stronger partnerships and sustained service delivery targeting vulnerable populations.
The Deputy Governor commended Rotary for its contributions to humanitarian service, particularly its medical outreach which have brought essential healthcare services closer to underserved communities.
He observed that many residents continue to face significant economic challenges, with some unable to afford even basic necessities or transportation to health facilities and noted that interventions that takes medical services directly to such communities remains critical to improving access to healthcare and easing the burdens on vulnerable households.
He stressed that expanding Rotary’s membership would strengthen the organisation’s capacity to reach more people and deliver greater services across the state.
The deputy governor said going by the mandate of the Rotary on humanitarian services, every member of the society should be a rotarian, irrespective of religious differences in view of the fact that both Christianity and Islam preaches humanity and encourages rendering catering for each other’s needs.
“I believe that if we are talking about humanity, everybody is a Rotarian , it’s just that many have not registered as members, Our religions preach and encourages service to humanity such as feeding the needy, supporting the poor, so virtually all genuine Muslims and Christians are Rotarians because the whole activity of Rotary is about humanity” He said
He further underscored the importance of collaboration between government, non-governmental organisations and development partners, noting that government alone cannot address every societal challenges.
Dr. Jatau expressed concern over the challenges confronting healthcare delivery such as the reported shortages of essential medical supplies or difficulties faced by patients in accessing timely treatment and called for concerted efforts to strengthen healthcare support systems and ensure that financial constraints do not prevent vulnerable citizens from receiving necessary medical attention.
Speaking on the Kaltungo Snakebite Hospital, the Deputy Governor highlighted the significance of its location in Gombe State, noting that Kaltungo records the highest number of snakes in the world and known for its high incidence of snakebites which informed the state government’s decision to establish the hospital to provide treatment not only for residents of Gombe State but also for patients from across Nigeria and neighbouring countries, including Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
He said that although the Federal Government had taken over the hospital, the state government was advocating for its upgrade into a research institute and a centre for the production of anti-snake venom.
The Deputy Governor recalled that a former District Governor of Rotary had pledged to present the hospital’s need for support to the international body and therefore reiterated the call on Rotary to explore additional support opportunities to strengthen the hospital’s capacity and improve its services.
The Deputy Governor reaffirmed his support for Rotary’s humanitarian objectives and urged members to communicate the organisation’s mission in simple, accessible language that ordinary citizens can understand, particularly its commitment to caring for people in need.
He applauded the District Governor and his team for finding it fit to condole the Mai Kaltungo over the loss of his wife recently and prayed God to reward the effort .
Earlier, the District Governor of Rotary International, District 9127, Rotarian Sikiru Adetona Owonikoko, said the visit was part of the district’s statutory responsibility to engage with clubs, assess their performance, identify challenges and encourage improved service delivery.
He explained that the delegation had initially planned the visit as part of its routine engagements before learning of the death of the Mai Kaltungo’s wife, which prompted the decision to extend condolences to the traditional ruler who is also a member of the Rotary.
Owonikoko commended Dr. Jatau’s support for the Rotary Club of Gombe City and expressed optimism that the existing relationship could be strengthened to deliver more humanitarian services to the people of Gombe State.
He noted that Rotary’s seven areas of focus provide a framework for addressing critical community needs and called for greater collaboration with public officials, community leaders and other influential stakeholders to extend the organisation’s reach.
The District Governor also commended the state government’s developmental efforts, noting that effective partnerships between government and service organisations remain essential to achieving sustainable community development.
The immediate past Resident, Rotary Club of Gombe City Aderinto Babajide Adedayo also thanked the deputy governor for his open door policy and promised their unflinching commitment to the delivering the rotary’s mandate for the overall progress of the state.
The engagement underscored a shared commitment to strengthening humanitarian partnerships, expanding access to essential services and improving the lives of vulnerable citizens across Gombe State.
Jack A.Tasha, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity,
(Deputy Governor’s Office)