Segun Awofadeji in Gombe
The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has launched its Education Endowment Fund as well as a scholarship portal.
The NEDC also launched a block of three classrooms in Government Day Comprehensive Junior Secondary School, Kwami, Kwami Local Government Area as a pilot scheme that would be replicated in each of the 11 Local Government Areas in Gombe State.
A new set of 500 KVA generator was also donated to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Gombe while 500 units of houses under construction at the Western Byepass, was also inspected.
Gombe State Governor, Mr. Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya, who was represented at the launch yesterday by his Deputy Governor, Mr. Manasseh Daniel Jatau, appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for establishing the NEDC which has been contributing immensely in improving the lives of citizens in the region.
Yahaya noted that the NEDC has pursued its mandate with vigor to ensure capacity building and human capital development and also contribute in the reduction of high illiteracy rate, extreme poverty in the region among others.
He lamented the destructive activities of Boko Haram terrorist group, which has lasted for some years, but expressed happiness that their activities is being checkmated by security agencies, concerned citizens, volunteer groups and governors of the North-east.
He said: “Gombe State has at all times shown the greatest political will to support, liaise, cooperate and learn from development partners, the NEDC being no exceptions.
“For emphasis, let me acknowledge that the programmes, today covers education, shelter and capacity building, human capacity development. All these relate the various aspects of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.”
The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Ms. Sadiya Umar Faruk, who was represented by Group Captain Sadiq Shehu, said that the activities of Boko Haram has created a setback in the education sector and compounded the poverty and unemployment levels in the region.
Faruk explained that the investment in education is aimed at changing the wrong ideologies of insurgents, reversing the level of illiteracy and unemployment among others.
Earlier, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of NEDC, Mr. Mohammed Goni Alkali, informed the gathering that the commission would present starter packs to 198 graduates of the ICT Training Programme apart from launching the Education Endowment Fund and the scholarship portal.
Alkali said that the commission has upgraded three schools in Gombe State, and is liaising with other sectors of the economy to know their areas of need for intervention.
Some of the graduates and beneficiaries of starter packs, Jamilu Ibrahim and Samaila Danjuma, appreciated the NEDC for assisting them with means of livelihood pledging to make good use of the opportunity given them.
