Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Yahaya, has charged newly appointed commissioners and special advisers to intensify service delivery, warning that his administration has no time to accommodate inefficiency as it approaches the end of its eight-year tenure in 2027.
Yahaya gave the charge on Tuesday during the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed commissioners and special advisers at the International Conference Centre, Gombe.
He said the appointments were intended to strengthen governance, consolidate achievements and accelerate the completion of ongoing projects before the administration leaves office.
“We are now in the final stretch of an eight-year journey that began in May 2019. Looking back, we have every reason to thank Almighty Allah for the progress recorded across the various sectors of our economy,” the governor said.
He added that despite challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic, two economic recessions, fiscal pressures and security concerns, his administration had remained committed to building a prosperous, inclusive and resilient state.
Yahaya urged the new appointees to regard their appointments as a call to service rather than an opportunity for personal advancement, stressing the need for diligence, sacrifice, sound judgment and measurable results.
“Your appointments are not opportunities for ceremonial leadership or personal advancement. They are calls to service which demand diligence, sacrifice, sound judgement and an unwavering commitment to the public good,” he said.
The governor charged the commissioners to familiarise themselves immediately with the policies, programmes and projects of their respective ministries and work closely with permanent secretaries and other senior officials to ensure effective coordination and prudent resource management.
“At this stage of our administration, we have neither the luxury of time nor the resources to accommodate inefficiency, complacency or administrative lapses,” he warned.
He also tasked the special advisers with providing practical and timely recommendations to improve executive decision-making, identify emerging challenges and strengthen the implementation of government policies.
Yahaya said the remaining months of his administration must be characterised by renewed energy, greater discipline and intensified service delivery rather than a slowdown in government activities.
“Every government official must understand that the clock is ticking and that our responsibility to the people remains undiminished until our very last day in office,” he said.
The governor listed investments in road infrastructure, healthcare, education, agriculture, water supply, environmental protection, urban development and institutional reforms among the achievements his administration would seek to consolidate before leaving office.
He said the government had also pursued reforms in the civil service, land administration and local government administration to improve efficiency and responsiveness.
Yahaya further reminded the appointees that public office was a trust that must be exercised in the interest of the people, warning against corruption, indiscipline and abuse of office.
“Our administration will not tolerate corruption, indiscipline, abuse of office, or any conduct capable of undermining the credibility of government,” he said.
He also called for teamwork and mutual respect among commissioners, special advisers, permanent secretaries and other public officials, warning against unhealthy rivalry and the pursuit of narrow personal interests.
The governor expressed appreciation to the Gombe State House of Assembly for the prompt screening and confirmation of the commissioner-nominees, commending the legislature for sustaining cooperation with the executive arm.
He said the partnership between both arms of government had contributed to the implementation of the administration’s development agenda over the past seven-and-a-half years.
As the state approaches the 2027 transition, Yahaya said his administration remained committed to handing over a state that was better than the one it inherited in 2019.
“Our goal remains clear: to hand over a Gombe State that is better than the one we inherited in 2019,” he said.
“We want to be remembered for the infrastructure we have built, the institutions we have strengthened, the opportunities we have created, and the foundations we have laid for sustainable development.”
The newly appointed officials include Dr Ahmed Wali Doho, Special Duties and Regional Cooperation; Nasiru Adamu Degri, Water Resources; and Dr Muhammad A. Bello, Policy Coordination and Performance Tracking.
Abdulmalik Musa Jibrin was appointed Special Adviser on Transportation, while Mohammed Bashir Nuhu was named Special Adviser on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises.
Adamu Inuwa Pantami was also listed as Special Adviser on Special Duties.
Meanwhile, Alhaji Shehu Yerima Abdullahi was redeployed to the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure to fill an existing vacancy.
Yahaya congratulated the appointees and urged them to justify the confidence reposed in them through competence, integrity and commitment to public service.
He also called on residents to support the newly appointed and existing officials in their efforts to promote peace, prosperity and sustainable development in the state.