Abdulrazaq Mungadi, Gombe
Gombe state governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has says that with the swearing-in of Honorable Commissioners and Special Advisers, the machinery of the state government can be said to have been fully established and that the task and challenges at hand is for the administration to hit the ground running in order to ensure more democratic dividends to the good people of the state.
Governor Yahaya who sworn-in a set of 21 commissioners as well as 15 Special Advisers and two permanent secretaries on Saturday, disclosed that his administration which rode to power on -tremendous public goodwill and support of the people across tribes, faiths and sectional divides cannot afford to fail on the mandate given to him in an unprecedented show of political support and unity.
“We are conscious of the responsibility and the weight of expectations that has been placed on our shoulders,” he said.
He further disclosed that he had before his swearing-in as the governor of the state on 29th May, embarked on a needs assessment study with the view to assess the level and availability of basic services and infrastructure across communities in the state.
According to him, the study covered over 400 communities across 114 wards of the state. And that it has enabled him to know what the people want and their order of priorities.
“The outcome of the needs assessment report formed the basis on which we run the affairs of government over the last five months. Furthermore, it is our plan that very soon, we shall convene a stakeholder summit that will discuss our challenges in detail and proffer possible solutions to them,” the governor said.
He added that the recent retreat organized for the newly sworn-in members of the State Executive Council, Special Advisers as well as Permanent Secretaries had exposed the appointees to the magnitude of the problems in the state and that it afforded the appointees opportunity to sign onto a declaration affirming their commitment to a noble set of principles on good governance, transparency and accountability. “The ball is now in your courts to prove that to the world by your complete fidelity to that declaration.
“To our Commissioners, you were carefully selected with the expectation that you will help drive our development agenda with vigor. The expectations are very high and there is no time to waste. You need to hit the ground running,” the governor said at the Saturday’s swearing-in ceremony.
