It seems trite to admit that because Alhaji Muhammad Danjuma Goje is only governor of Gombe State, all that glitters can’t be him, even though his last name has an odd rhyme with gold. But it’s entirely reasonable to make the case that most, if not all, of the things that glitter in Gombe today are traceable to Goje-and his whole host of lieutenants who have been such powerful props to his administration. This assertion will appear wild and exaggerated only to those who are not familiar with the contemporary realities of Gombe State.
Those of us who have lived all our lives in the state know that a lot has changed for the better in Gombe in the past one year. Take water as an example. Water scarcity has been an interminably nagging problem in Gombe since the old Bauchi days. When Hashidu was elected governor in 1999, the people of Gombe State did not leave space for the slightest doubt in their minds that the irritatingly persistent water scarcity in Gombe would be gone for good. Why were they so optimistic? They were optimistic because Hashidu had credentials and experiences that stood him in a good stead to solve the water problems of the state. He had been General Manager of the Upper River Benue Development Authority. He also served as commissioner for Agriculture and Water Resources in the old Bauchi State, and later federal minister of Agriculture and Water Resources. Who should be more concerned about solving the water problem of a people than a man with this intimidating career profile? What is more, Hashidu was secretary of the Movement for the Creation of Gombe State. That position gave him the privilege to know that the problem of water is an enduring concern of all Gombe people.
But what did he do? He budgeted 8 billion naira for the project, and in four whole years could not complete 10 per cent of the job! And the water problem was not any better than it was before he became governor. Now, Governor Goje is confronting this water problem frontally. Firstly, he renegotiated the contract and reduced it costs by N700 million. The governor has severally promised us that the project is due for completion by October next year. Hashidu never gave a date for the completion of his own project, because he had none. That this government is giving a specific date of completion underscores its seriousness and sincerity. We hope it doesn’t disappoint us.
So much for water in Gombe. What about health? It’s a hackneyed fact that in Gombe State before now, the health sector was literally decayed and stinking. For four continuous years, the general hospitals in Gombe, Kaltungo, Billiri, Dukku and Kumo were not rehabilitated. They also lacked basic drugs and qualified medical personnel. They were worse than consulting clinics. All these general hospitals have now been rehabilitated in the past one year, and have been filled with drugs and qualified medical personnel.
Additionally, new general hospitals, which were initiated by the government of Dahiru Mohammed, are now being built in Dela and Talase. The government has also encouraged Nefada local government to build a new hospital from the scratch. Given the erstwhile pathetic health situation in Gombe, this is revolutionary.
The improvement in urban and rural infrastructure is even more revolutionary. The administration that preceded Goje’s did not find it necessary to build a single road in the state in four years. But in the last one year, the present administration has finished the Tumpre/Tuliga dualisation project complete with streetlights, which makes it such a beautiful, spell-binding spectacle to behold. Several township roads in Gombe town and other semi-urban and rural areas are either being rehabilitated or constructed. The bush telegraph has it that Hashidu himself who has used these roads on his numerous social visits blamed his advisers and aides for their inability or unwillingness to advise him to undertake road construction and rehabilitation projects during his reign. Pity.
The former governor has more things to feel regret about. For instance, when he was governor, fertilizers were scarce commodities. Predictably, farming, which Gombe is noted for, suffered terribly. The previous government’s Fertilizer Blending Plant couldn’t blend fertilizers; it “bent” it instead. That explained why Gombe people mockingly called it the Fertilizer Bending Plant. All that has changed now. The present government, during this farming season alone, reportedly bought and distributed 34, 000 metric tonnes of fertilizer, and sold it to farmer at the cost of =N=1600 per bag. This is a lot more than the sum total of all the fertilizers the previous government had procured in four years! Besides, 25 new tractors have so far been purchased and 20 old ones rehabilitated and given to farmers. All these will have a noticeable impact on the standard of life of the people in the foreseeable future.
Perhaps the most definitive mark Governor Goje’s administration is leaving in the sands of time is its decision to build the Gombe State University. This university will train and graduate a generation of Gombe indigenes who will earn their degrees in the comfort of their state capital. People who make the point that the university is unnecessary because we cannot fill our quotas in existing universities in Nigeria are either mischievous or ill-informed.
When you compare this to what obtained before now, you will agree that it’s worth celebrating. The previous administration not only absolutely neglected the educational sector, it mindlessly politicized it. It made airy promises about setting up institutions of higher learning in various communities in the state, none of which it fulfilled before it was voted out of office. It promised Deba town a college of education; Nafada a college of legal studies; and Gombe town a school of nursing and a polytechnic. Sadly, money was budgeted for these school projects that never got off the ground.
Finally, because of the confidence and goodwill that this new government inspire across the nation, we now enjoy GSM services. Our state is no longer the land- and culture locked state that it used to be. Certainly, things are improving dramatically in Gombe State, and it will not be an idle, exaggerated claim to say that all that glitters in Gombe now is Goje. He is polishing the “jewel in the savannah” that had been dulled by incompetent and senile leadership.
Umar Idris writes from Gombe State.
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