*Gombe Governor’s giant strides in education, integrity, transparency recognized ‘
By JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya CON, has been nominated by the New Telegraph Newspaper for the award of Governor of the Year 2023 on Education.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Director-General (Press Affairs) Government House Gombe, Ismaila Uba Misilli made available yesterday.
In a letter signed by the news paper’s Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief, Ayodele Aminu, and addressed to the Governor, the New Telegraph explained that Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s giant strides in Education couple with his determination to chart a new course in public service, built on integrity, transparency and the strong desire to improve the livelihoods of the people, informed his choice for the prestigious award.
“As Governor of Gombe State, you have improved on the state’s rating in nearly all indices of human development and standard of living. It is on record that under your watch, Gombe State
has witnessed giant strides in Education. Since your foray into politics, you have left no one in doubt of your determination to chart a new course in public service, built on integrity, transparency and the strong desire to improve the livelihoods of the people”, the paper explained.
The paper particularly noted the following achievements of the Governor in the education sector: construction and renovation of over 1440 classrooms across the State; mopping up of
over 350,000 out-of-school children; upgrade of 5 secondary schools to mega-school standards and construction of 4 special schools (to take care of special needs); recruitment of 1,000 teachers, and strengthening of vocational and technical education through various partnerships like the IDEAS (Innovation in Development and Effectiveness in Acquisition of Skills), which is a World Bank-assisted project.
According to the New Telegraph, these and many other efforts, led to a number of positive outcomes in the education sector, including a sharp increase in the percentage of candidates in public schools who passed WASSCE with 5 credits or above including Maths and English from 28% in 2019 to 73% in 2021 and 78% in 2022, noting that the Governor’s performance has become a reference point to his contemporaries across the North East region and Nigeria at large.
While accepting the nomination, Governor Inuwa Yahaya said this recognition will inspire him and his team to continue with the significant strides in shaping a brighter future for the upcoming generation in the state through provision of quality and affordable education to citizens in Gombe state.
“I am deeply honored to accept my nomination by the New Telegraph Newspaper as Governor of the Year 2023 on Education. This recognition underscores our collective commitment as government to advancing education in our state. I want to reassure our citizens in Gombe state that my administration will continue to ensure the growth and prosperity of our educational system. This award will inspire us to continue to make significant strides in shaping a brighter future for the upcoming generation through provision of quality and affordable education”, Governor Inuwa said.
“This recognition also holds great significance for both myself and my government. It serves as a validation of our modest efforts to drive progress and prosperity in Gombe state. The acknowledgment from a reputable newspaper like New Telegraph, specifically in evaluating our accomplishments in the education sector, affirms our commitment to excellence.This honor motivates us to continue our work for even greater achievements for the well-being of our citizens”, the Governor added.
Recall that recently, Governor Inuwa was recently voted by another national daily, The Sun Newspaper as its Governor of the year 2023. Also, Vanguard and Leadership Newspapers had earlier conferred on Governor Inuwa Yahaya ‘Best Governor of the Year’ awards in recognition of his excellent contributions to the economic growth of Gombe state and welfare of the citizens of the state.
The Governor will be presented with the prestigious New Telegraph award at a ceremony slated for Friday, February 2, 2024, at Balmoral Hall, Federal Palace Hotels, Victoria Island, Lagos.