As things stood during and after the 2019 gubernatorial elections, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party’s desperate but futile attempt to thwart the will of the Gombe people only served to heat up the polity and divide the state along primordial and religious lines which the incoming administration of Governor Inuwa Yahaya was keen to nip in the bud thus necessitating his timely appointment of veteran journalist and seasoned media practitioner, Mallam Ismaila Uba Misilli as his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity in order to raise awareness, sensitize the people on government policies and programs as well as reconciling and unifying the people under the governor’s all-inclusive banner of ‘One Gombe, One Destiny’ meant to advance religious tolerance, inter-ethnic unity, mutual dialogue, and peaceful co-existence.
Indeed a pacifist minded Mallam Ismaila Misilli interpreted his brief as widely as he deemed necessary to bring lasting peace and harmony to his beloved state and the SSA, M&P now elevated to the Director-General Press Affairs to the Executive Governor of Gombe State saw his office as a veritable position to disseminate and advance the agenda of the populist Governor Yahaya administration as well as promoting more cohesiveness and inclusivity among the diverse ethnic, religious and linguistic communities in Gombe State.
Universally acknowledged as a workaholic and paragon of the timeless ethos of punctuality, hardwork, technical competence, and unvarnished professionalism at its best, Mallam Ismaila Misilli has kept up with the tireless pace of this administration, with a constant and consistent barrage of news, features, stories, opinions, and documentaries on key policies and programs formulated and vigorously implemented under Governor Inuwa Yahaya.
Hardly an hour goes by without a news flash, online story or opinion piece emanating from the energetic DG PA on the infrastructural landmarks, project commissioning, ground breaking or policy thrust objectives of the Gombe government be it on the 1,000 hectare Muhammadu Buhari Industrial Park, the Dadinkowa Hydro-Electric Power Station, the BESDA Back to School Project, the Gombe Goes Green (3G) Scheme, the Construction of over 400 Classroom Blocks with VIP toilets, the Construction and Renovation of Primary Health Care Centres in the 114 wards, the provision of Physical Protection gear for COVID-19 frontline workers, the distribution of Palliatives e.g rice, wheat, sorghum and millet to the vulnerable members of society, the inauguration of the Transition and Sectoral Committees, the payment of backlog of pension and gratuities to civil and public service retirees, the distribution of bags of fertiliser at subsidized rates of N5000 per bag to farmers, the distribution of improved farm seedlings to farmers, the procurement of 50 Toyota Buses for the state-owned GOMBE LINE and other precedent- shattering policy initiatives and epoch marking programs launched by the Inuwa Yahaya administration.
Indeed Alhaji Missilli is a prolific writer, blogger, author, and versatile multi-tasker who can handle numerous assignments at the same time, is an agile and quick-witted thinker and multi-faceted brainstormer who has become the centre of gravity of information dissemination, policy sensitization, and citizen mobilisation in Gombe State given his articulate grasp of issues and ideas, confident and comported persona and steely resolve and determination to get the job done no matter the seemingly daunting challenges in his path.
Those who are attuned to the antecedents and distinctive character traits of Mallam lsmaila Misilli are not overly surprised that he has gone thus far given his renowned integrity, sense of honour, and unassailable rectitude, indeed his word is his bond, his words as the proverbial saying goes can be taken to the bank, he is as constant and consistent as the Northern Star and his courage and determination to make a positive difference is as solid and unshakable as the legendary Rock of Gibraltar.
A distinguished alumnus of the prestigious University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Mallam lsmaila Misilli cut his teeth in journalism working for the famous Gombe State TV, from whence he continued his public service career in the Information and Publications Department of the National Assembly, the nation’s apex legislative institution.
In his capacity as a Senior Information Officer, he has worked with key presiding officers of the House including former House Speakers, Dimeji Bankole, Aminu Tambuwal, and Yakubu Dogara whom he greatly impressed by his unparalleled dedication to duty, commitment to excellence, and unalloyed loyalty and respect for constituted authority, not caring whose ox was gored in the process.
His oratorical prowess, eloquence, and articulate grasp of issues and ideas propelled him to the position of a much sought after master of ceremonies at numerous conferences, public hearings, and ceremonies attended by the high and mighty in the executive, legislative, judicial, and corporate branches were he did not fail to impress and enchant the high and mighty with his articulate and erudite delivery of language and vocabulary and those in the know admiringly dubbed him the ‘Cicero of the House’ for his masterful grasp of diction and prose in the service of his beloved fatherland.
With his auspicious appointment as Director-General Press Affairs of the Gombe State Government, Mallam Uba Misilli is once again moving steadily and steadfastly towards delivering what he knows best: sound information management, prolific dissemination of government policies and programs while critically mobilising the entire citizenry of the state to key into the policy thrust objectives and paradigm desiderata of the administration of the day irrespective of ethnic, religious, linguistic or partisan affiliations thus promoting and advancing the cause of unity, progress, stability, and peaceful coexistence.