Since Democracy came to stay in Nigeria, the people have witnessed tremendous improvement in their welfare by different governments at the federal, state and local government levels. Democracy is said to be the best system of government because it is government of the people, by the people for the people.
The administration of Governor Ibrahim Gaidam, in Yobe state has no doubt touched the lives of the ordinary man, that even his political opponents have continued to shower encomiums on him for his achievements just two years in the saddle.
Works, Transport and Housing
In order to link the rural communities to the urban centre, the administration of Governor Gaidam had successfully constructed the Yunusari-Kanamma-Yusufari Road and the long awaited 52 Kilometer Nguru-Machina Road among others.
The Rural Electrification Board had been saddled with the responsibilities of maintaining all the major street lights as well as servicing of all major generator plants in the ministries, boards and parastatals, overhauling of Fire engines. The administration of Gaidam also supplies diesel regularly to the essential organizations of Hospitals’ Management Board i.e, all the hospitals in the State, Yobe State Television, Yobe Broadcasting Corporation, Water Board, etc.
“There is no doubt Damaturu the state capital is witnessing beautification as the 5 Round About are undergoing renovation and reconstructions”, Commissioner of Works and Transport, Alhaji Lawan Shettima, added.
In order to provide housing for the civil servants, housing estates were built and staff quarters at the new Yobe State Teaching Hospital, Damaturu, and staff quarters three star hotels allocated to the medical students of the Yobe State University.
Health Care Services
In its quest to provide qualitative health care delivery to its citizenry, the administration of Gaidam had pproved the establishment of Yobe State University Teaching Hospital with state-of-the-art equipment that can compete with any Teaching Hospitals in the country. Recently, approval was granted to employ additional 228 Medical personnel in preparatory to its take-off and recruitment of another 32 NYSC Doctors, Pharmacists, Radiotherapists and also 38 Nurses who just graduated at the Shehu Sule College of Nursing and Midwifery, Damaturu.
The renovation/expansion of hospitals, in Geidam, Potiskum, Gashua and Sani Abatcha Specialist Hospital Damaturu are at various stages of completion and when completed, they will all be equipped to give the health care needs of the people the needed attention. Children from 0-5years, pregnant women and accidents victims are being given free medication in all the government hospitals across the state. Not only that; Consultants and experienced foreign doctors, are being recruited to increase the manpower in the health sector all with the aim of giving sound and quality health care to the teaming people across the state.
Education:
Education is a backbone of every economy and no meaningful development can be achieved without a sound education. Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has constructed hundreds of primary schools burnt down by the insurgents. According to statistics about N1.3billion has been spent on the establishment and reconstruction of Government Secondary Schools Yunusari, Gwio-kura and Fika, all with the aim of strengthening and encouraging school attendance and enrollment.
The administration has embarked on massive infrastructural development in Umar Suleiman College of Education, Gashua, Mai Idriss Aloma Polytechnic Geidam, by building classrooms, laboratories, dormitories for students’ accommodation, toilets and latrines, lecture halls and theatres to address the problems being faced by the schools.
Despite the challenges of insurgency and recession, the state government has continued with the policy free meals to secondary school students who enjoy three square meals that are of standard. The renovation of state library had been completed and efforts are under way for e-library. Students’ scholarship reading at higher institutions of learning across the country was recently paid.
Workers’ Salaries/Pensions
Interestingly, Gaidem’s administration is being commended for regular payment of salaries and gratuities. In two years there was no month that the state government defaulted in payment of its workers. All promotions conducted recently have been duly implemented in line with civil service regulations. It is worthy to note that; the payment of gratuity to retiring civil servants in the state according to Blueprint investigation shows that, it has paid up to 2015, and the one of 2016 is currently under process and there is no case of unpaid pensioners’ allowances in the State. It is in this regard that National Union of Pensioners recently presented the governor with an award for the regular payment of Pensioners.
Anyone who left Yobe some years back, and visited the state now will have a good story to tell about the ongoing transformation, since Governor Gaidam came to power, despite the devastation caused by the Boko Haram insurgency.
Anyone who left Yobe some years back, and visited the state now will have a good story to tell about the ongoing transformation
