A group,
Coalition of Gombe State Indigenes, has disagreed with a Christian cleric, Fr.
Mbaka, on the latter’s endorsement of Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo as Nigeria’s
next president. It said the priest spoke out of context in his assessment of
the works and worth of the state governor.
Mbaka is a
former enthusiast of Buhari.
The
coalition, in a statement by a prominent son of the state, Muhammad Jibrin,
drew attention to what it claimed as the failures of the outgoing
administration in water supply, education, health among others to emphasise why
it disagreed with Mbaka and urged the cleric to travel to Gombe and see things
for himself.
Mbaka, had
in his New Year message upbraided President Muhammadu Buhari and asked him not
to seek a second term in office, charging that Dankwambo who he praised for his
sterling achievements should be projected to fill the North’s turn.
But the
coalition said: “If the Reverend ather is well apprised of the state of affairs
of Gombe State, he will certainly not recommend Governor Dankwambo as a worthy
replacement for the great President Buhari. Perhaps, some examples will show
the Rev. Fr. Mbaka of the extent of the damage Governor Dankwambo has done to
our state
“It is a
well-known fact that Gombe town had battled with lack of portable drinking
water since independence. The previous administration of Senator Danjuma Goje
took this as a priority and spent over N8 billion to ensure the provision of
water across the State and specifically within the metropolis of Gombe.
Governor Dankwambo refused to make an annual budgetary spending of only N200m
required to maintain the supply of water. Today, you will easily find water in
the desert before Gombe State.
“Gombe State
Education system was adjudged one of the best in the country. With a state
university founded by the previous administration being rated as one of the top
10 state-owned universities in Nigeria as at 2011. As with the water project,
he has neglected to continue with the required funding of the university.
Today, the university and the entire education system is now in shambles and
our class rooms are playground for idle students without teachers who have left
en mass due to unpaid salaries.
“On the
health sector, our hospitals, which were modernised and fully equipped, are now
mortuaries and consulting clinics. The International Airport in Gombe that
opened the entire North Eastern Region to air travel, both passenger and cargo,
has been totally neglected.
“The
international hotel that was built to cater for those travelling to and by
Gombe has been neglected and taken over by animals.
“I advise
father Mbaka to travel to Gombe state and visit the State University, hospitals
and water projects in Gombe town and all the other 10 local government areas of
Gombe State and tell Nigerians his findings.”
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