The Gombe State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has promised to provide special cover for Gombe schools, through redoubled safety efforts and the complete remodelling of five schools in the state.
Speaking during the inspection of some schools in the state where serious renovations had been carried out, Governor Yahaya said he would tackle the issues of security challenges, especially with some neighbouring states still facing such challenges.
He said the public would begin to see the changes emanating one after the other, until the complete transformation of schools became visible, as envisioned by the government.
At the Government Science Secondary School, Gombe, Governor Yahaya said discussions had been held for the relocation of the School of Nursing, sited near the school, so as to give more space for the school to be expanded and returned to its original state in 1967, when it was first opened.
He said the expansion would go beyond the bounds of the ordinary, so as to accommodate more students.
The Governor urged the management of the schools visited to inform their students of government’s resolve to provide them with all facilities needed to advance the cause of knowledge and enable them to become good citizens of the state.
He challenged the school managements to do more in addressing students’ challenges, because his administration intended to make the schools to have a population of more than 3,000 students.
”So you must double up. The ministry has to provide all the necessary staffing and the personnel required to give it an effective and functional management. And we shall give all support to that,” Governor Yahaya said.
At the Government Secondary School, Dadinkowa, where an article in one of the newspapers drew the attention of the Governor immediately after assuming office in 2019, the Governor expressed satisfaction with the complete transformation, in comparison to the first time he visited the school that year.
According to Governor Yahaya, after inspecting the school that year, he was convinced about the positive changes he has seen, while pledging to deliver on the promises he made since assuming office in 2019 by declaring a state of emergency in education.
“So far, we have done a lot in the Basic Education side, by putting up classrooms, by putting up laboratories, by putting up libraries, by putting up the normal infrastructure needed for good and sound high-quality education. And I can say that we have succeeded in changing the narratives”.
According to Governor Yahaya, the dream of his administration is to ensure that Gombe State ranks among the first ten states with a high-quality education in Nigeria.
Emmanuel Ukoh
