Elders Forum convenes to address development challenges in Gombe North

Gombe North Elders’ Forum, on Thursday, convened in Gombe to discuss development-related issues, focusing on how to advance sustainable practices and address challenges in the zone.

The forum, which brought together leaders, experts, and stakeholders from around the zone met at the Gombe State University, as stakeholders decried the development challenges bedevilling the zone with regard to education, health, and other areas over the years.

Speaking at the event, Gov. Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State, who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Alhaji Inuwa Kari, commended the forum for showing concern for the development of their zone.

Yahaya said his administration over the past six years had initiated different developmental projects across the state towards improving the wellbeing and welfare of the people.

He said that his administration had worked assiduously to change the narrative in Gombe North by developing the zone and supporting initiatives that alleviated poverty in the zone.

He advised the forum to come up with a development blueprint for the zone as a document to engage the government and other stakeholders towards the development of the zone.

Yahaya called on all elders and other stakeholders in the zone and state to cultivate the habit of ownership of projects provided by the government for the good of the people.

“Just recently, we visited the Zainab Bulkachuwa Hospital to check up on some patients only to discover that the fans have been burgled and taken away by youths and no one stopped them.

“The same for school facilities in the state, which are being burgled yet the teachers and the community leaders will not say anything; this is bad.

“While the government is doing its best, the people must play their part by protecting public facilities from being vandalised,” he said.

The governor also called on the forum to use their voice in counselling youths of the state against engaging in drug and substance abuse which he said was becoming rampant.

For his part, the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Abubakar Shehu-Abubakar, III urged stakeholders in the zone to harness the resources in the zone to develop the zone and its people.

Shehu-Abubakar who was represented by Dr Sani Jauro, the Danlawal of Gombe said that the zone has a lot of water bodies flowing across almost all the Local Government Areas in the zone which he said should be harnessed to boost irrigation farming and enhance food security.

The royal father also urged the forum to strengthen the unity of the zone and encourage peaceful coexistence as a necessary tool for development.

Alhaji Yaya Hammari, the Chairman of the Forum commended stakeholders for attending its maiden town hall meeting to brainstorm on how to develop Gombe North comprising Gombe, Nafada, Dukku, Funakaye and Kwami LGAs.

Hammari said that the forum was not politically-motivated or affiliated but set up for the sole interest of driving development and unifying the zone towards improving the lives and livelihoods of the people.

Other stakeholders from the zone who presented papers and speeches advocated the need for collective efforts at addressing the educational poverty of the zone through increased investment in the sector.

The theme of the maiden town hall conference is “Gombe North Senatorial Zone: Developmental Potentials and Challenges.”

During the conference, three papers were presented by Prof. Yaya Shehu, Alhaji Umaru Gurama and Prof. Sani Jibir.