When ministers are appointed by presidents to represent states of the federation in the Federal Executive Council (FEC), they are expected to serve their president diligently, translating his ideas into reality. But there’s more. It is Nigerian for such ministers to attract meaningful projects to their states of origin thereby directly contributing to the development of the state and its people.
It’s a balancing act. On the one hand, the minister must be seen to be implementing nationally beneficial policies, but without losing sight of their duty for their states of origin and its people. Of all the immediate-past President Muhammadu Buhari’s political appointees, Professor Isah Ibrahim Pantami is inarguably the one man who embodied this delicate duty. He served his president diligently, trailblazing a great number of innovations, but also made sure Gombe state benefitted a great deal from the proceeds of his service and innovations as an appointee of the federation.
Beginning from September 26, 2016, when Pantami was first appointed director general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) before he was spirited to the position of minister of Communication and Digital Economy on the strength of his strong showing in NITDA, rounding off almost eight years of national service on May 29, 2023, he has focused on contributing meaningfully to the socioeconomic development of Nigeria in general and Gombe state in particular. But since this piece is more about his foresight and dedication to the people of Gombe which spurred him into using his various capacities to attract many impactful projects to Gombe state, I will be dwelling more on his service to the people of Gombe.
This piece will therefore be detailing all the projects that the erstwhile minister has ever attracted to Gombe state in the context of his patriotism to our dear state and the leadership that he continues to show. This piece may also serve as an agenda setting instrument for the current minister representing the good people of Gombe state in FEC. Although, I doubt if anyone can trump Pantami’s performance in a hurry, his record should, at the very least, serve as motivation to the current minister and many more that may come from Gombe state in the future.
The recast of this journey of impact will start with Pantami’s siting in Gombe state of the zonal offices of agencies and parastatals that make up the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy. Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Galaxy Backbone Limited North-east zonal office and the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited zonal offices. This makes sense considering Gombe and perhaps Bauchi have enjoyed far more peace than all other states in the region. However, Gombe edges out Bauchi in terms of intra-city infrastructure which in my view, makes it most ideal.
Then, there are Digital Economy Centre (DEC & E-Learning). Domiciled at the Gombe State Federal Polytechnic, Kaltungo, College of Education and Legal Studies, Nafada, Deba Emirate Council, Progress Association, Science Intensive School, By Pass, Akko LGA, Government Comprehensive Day Secondary School, Talasse, Balanga L.GA, Polytechnic, Bajoga Funakaye LGA, Hajarat School of Arabic and Islamic Studies, Gombe, Government Science Secondary School, Malam Sidi, Kwami LGA, Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Dadin kowa, Yamaltu Deba, among several others.
The erstwhile minister also made sure that many schools in the state were designated Digital Nigeria Centres. Some of the schools are Junior Secondary School Nafada Central, Vocational Training Centre, GSSS Gombe, etc. Perhaps, one of Pantami’s most significant services to Gombe is the facilitation of NICTIB II, a 1866 KM of 48 Core Fiber running from Kano through Potiskum, to Maiduguri and from Potiskum to Gombe, spreading to the Yola bypass in Gombe and from Gombe to Jos and Akwanga; and from Kano to Katsina.
Pantami also localized the Base Transceiver Station (BTS) across different locations in Gombe state and local government areas. He also domiciled Emerging Technology Centre (ETC) in Gombe. And in his Campus Connectivity Network initiative launched in 2021, Gombe State Polytechnic Bajoga, Gombe State University Gombe, Federal University Kashere, Federal College of Education Technical, Gombe all benefitted.
This is aside Gombe State University also benefitting from the Deployment of a Wireless Internet Cloud to securely protect their data, enhance data integrity while providing seamless online experience for the university’s web-based resources.
The National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) and a Smart Agriculture App for precision farming was also situated in Gombe where 565 farmers drawn from all LGAs in Gombe state were trained and empowered with digital devices as well as N100,000 seed funding. This project is revolutionary in that it is geared towards digitizing the agricultural value chain and connect farmers with the market in real times.
There were several others, including the Vsat Skills Acquisition and Youth Empowerment Program for 100 Youths Gombe State. NIPOST was repositioned with a state of art office, siting of address authentication system in Gombe, as well as several digital skills acquisition programmes including phone repair skills targeted at several youths, many of whom were equipped with both capacity and equipment. In this endeavour, over a 100 people living with disabilities as well as women also benefitted.
Even Prof. Pantami himself hardly gives the exact number of Gombe indigenes who got employment opportunities through him in various fields of human endeavours both at the lower and managerial positions. I may not be wrong if I unequivocally say that in the history of the state, no politician has secured gainful employment like Prof. Pantami did within his short sojourn into the politics.
There’s no forgetting the distribution of food items like 2400 bags of rice, 1200 bags of millet, 2400 bags of garri, 1200 bags of sorghum and 3600 bags of maize and 2400 bags of fertilizers across all 11 LGAs of the state. He also attracted various MTN CSR projects to hospitals in Gombe.
Yet, it’s not even the selflessness with which he thought always first of Gombe when initiatives are launched, it’s the desire with which he pursued the interest of Gombe state in all things he has had the power to control. The actions of Pantami typifies the kind of leadership credentials and patriotism that is almost hard to find in our crop of current leaders. This is why a collective shield of value must be erected around Pantami.
To put things in a clear perspective, many people of Gombe origin have held very key positions in past governments, but only Pantami has demonstrated that the position of minister which he discharged so diligently was in fact held in trust for the good people of Gombe. This kind of responsibility taking is not only exemplary, but it should also demand the opportunity for him do more, perhaps in more positions of direct power and impact.
Pantami’s zeal for selfless service and unflinching dedication to the plight of the people of Gombe deserves much more than commendation. It deserves opportunities to do more and nothing, in my view will be better than convincing him to consider running for governor come 2027. I know, it may come off as too sudden a conversation. However, I believe that the earlier these conversations are brought to the front burner, the better the people of Gombe will sleep. It is my belief that our people deserve to have a clear view of their future which is embodied in the evidence of Pantami’s suitability for the role.
Sani writes from Gombe, Gombe state
