Segun Awofadeji in Gombe
After listening to the endless lists of achievements by the Governor Inuwa Yahaya-led administration in the last three and a half years, the Gombe State Council of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) yesterday spoke with one voice, saying the governor deserves their support for a second term if the wheel of advancement in the state needed further progress.
This came to the fore during an interactive session organised by the Political Commission of the Nigeria Labour Congress, for all candidates of political parties in Gombe State.
The leadership of the NLC who had earlier in the day attended the flag -off ceremony for the presentation of cheques to retirees in the state by the governor said they were convinced that the governor meant well for the people of Gombe State and deserves support and solidarity of workers.
During the cheque presentation ceremony, some certain facts emerged like the payment of about N7.9 billion backlogs of retirees’ entitlements in the state.
Chairman of the NLC, represented by the Vice Chairman, Comrade Bappayo Abdulmumini, said Yahaya’s political antecedent in the last three and a half years have made him exceptional in terms of good governance.
Passing a vote of confidence on the Yahaya’s administration, the labour leader said: “We were mandated by our national leadership to interact with all gubernatorial candidates and come up with MoU for onward submission to the national Secretariat but here in Gombe State we have resolved not to sign any MoU with you because our Union has been on the same page with your government’s policies and programs ever since you came on board.
“Judging by what you have done so far for Gombe State’s civil servants, coupled with other laudable human oriented policies and projects you executed, we have no choice than to mobilise for you. I am aware you won in 2019 with over 300,000 votes. Here, we have over 60, 000 persons under our umbrella. If each one of us can mobilise at least five votes, it means labour alone can give you up to what you got the last time, and I am sure that will guarantee victory for you”.
Speaking during the interactive session, Governor Yahaya maintained that his administration is genuinely committed to people oriented policies, with a concomitant effect on public service and human capital development in the State.
He reiterated that he has fully kept to his 2019 Manifesto within the span of three and a half years of his stewardship and that the facts and figures on ground attest to his performance as outlined in his campaign promises.
“No rationale mind will score this administration less considering the developmental projects we executed in various sectors of the economy including public service development,” Governor Yahaya declared to the NLC members.
The Governor praised the synergy existing between his administration and the organized labour. “
The NLC is a partner in progress as far as good governance is concerned. That is why this administration runs an open governance to an extent of opening up to you about the true financial status of the government for trust, transparency and accountability”.
Explaining further some of his policy thrust to the gathering, Governor Yahaya said the economy was the fulcrum within which all policies revolve and that the Gombe state economy is largely agro allied hence most farmers are either into crop or livestock production, that is why his government ensured the reactivation of moribund fertiliser blending plant in the State.
He said that his administration had paid remarkable attention to the needs of Gombe State farmers with funds, fertilizer and other supportive measures.
“ Today, we are constructing a multi billion naira industrial park in Dadinkowa to absorb our teeming youths in gainful employment. Government alone cannot employ everybody but can provide an enabling environment for private sector to thrive that is why we work assiduously to ensure the successful take off of the industrial park”, he said.
Governor Yahaya said that “another giant stride of this our administration is that of road construction across the state under the Network Eleven-100. He specifically cited the Degri-Talasse Road in Balanga local government area which all previous administrations failed to construct but his government was able to do it to ensure that means of livelihood of residents of the communities is improved which by implication will enhance socio- economic activities in the area.
He noted that the road construction projects have opened up real development in Gombe State considering the progress of reasonable kilometres executed in all the Local Government Areas.
Looking back, the governor said he had improved public service development tremendously considering the decadent situation he met on assumption of office.
He invited the leadership of the NLC to go round all the local governments in the state and fact-check all his claims.
Governor said his administration inherited over N120 billion debt characterised by mismanagement of local government funds, misconduct in civil service, ghost workers syndrome and host of shady deals but took the situation head-on to right the wrongs.
He lamented that “Despite the Federal government’s budget support meant to clear backlog of civil servants’ entitlements such as Excess Crude, Paris Club Refund, Bail Out and similar other supports but previous administration failed to pay retirees’ entitlements.”
“ But when we came on board, as at today we have paid 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017 State government workers and today we approved the payment of 2017 State government pensioners,” he said.
“ Our administration has also approved the immediate promotion of over 26,000 LG workers which other previous governments abdicated from doing despite the several FG intervention in that direction”, he added.
In the area of healthcare delivery, Governor Yahaya said aside from Gombe Health Insurance Scheme (Go-Health ) introduced by his administration, Primary Healthcares Centres across the 114 wards in the State were upgraded optimally, General Hospitals in Bajoga and Kaltungo were equally upgraded while new general hospital is being constructed in Kumo Town of Akko LGA.
Governor Yahaya explained that one of his administration’s responses to the issue of unemployment is in the areas of provision of critical infrastructures, including the Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park Project, first of its kind in the history of the state which was designed to fire up further development in other sectors of the economy; the agricultural sector, which will increase the GDP, help farmers to have accessibility to markets and get proper pricing that will give reward for hardwork.
Speaking on the secret of his administration’s remarkable success in the midst of lean finances and the recent global COVID -19 pandemic, Governor Inuwa said: “It is not because we don’t know how to enjoy. You think we don’t know how to fly to Dubai, America and London? It is because we have the feeling for the people as our priority and our priority is the people and you are part of the them. It is our prudence that has given us capacity to pay. I’m an accountant,a professional for that matter and a business man as well; so I know how to get value for my money,” he said.
As a token of appreciation and a show of solidarity for the NLC’s cooperation and understanding, the Governor presented the key of an 18-Seater bus to the NLC to further enhance its operational efficiency.
Governor Yahaya was at the Labour House in company of the Director-General, APC Campaign Council, Barrister Zubair Muhammad Umar, Commissioners, APC stalwart, Dr Bala Bello Tinka among others.
