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Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, has presided over the 51st and the last session of the Gombe State Executive Council (SEC) Meeting for the preceding year, 2025, which was held on Wednesday at the Government House in Gombe, where approvals were given in the education, infrastructure and other sectors.
Briefing journalists shortly after the meeting, the Commissioner of Information and Culture, Hon. Mijinyawa Ardo Tilde, said that among memos deliberated and approved by the council were those from the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Transport, and the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
Speaking on the memo approved for her ministry, the Commissioner for Education, Ass. Prof. Aishatu Umar Maigari disclosed that the council approved the sum of N661,557,121 for the payment of Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE) fees for 23,873 students across the state.
According to her, the beneficiaries emerged from a mock examination conducted for 26,857 candidates, out of which 88 per cent scored 50 per cent and above, qualifying them for the government-sponsored examination support.
“A breakdown of the beneficiaries shows that 21,909 students will sit for WAEC, 1,431 for NABTEB, while 297 candidates will be presented for NBAIS. The list also includes 183 non-indigene students on exchange programmes in the state and 53 students living with special needs, and this reflect the inclusive nature of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya”, she said.
The Commissioner further explained that the payment will be jointly funded by the state government and the 11 local governments, with a 60-40 cost-sharing ratio, respectively.
She added that the intervention is part of Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s deliberate strategy to remove financial barriers to education, improve academic outcomes and position Gombe State as a leading centre of learning in the North-East.
On infrastructure, the Commissioner for Works, Housing and Transport, Engr Maijama’a Kallamu, announced several approvals targeted at expanding the state’s road network and upgrading critical public facilities.
He disclosed that the council has approved the construction of 6.3 kilometres of road within the newly developed Family Homes Estate, extending to connect the inner suburbs of Northern Tumfure, at a cost of N7.097 billion.
He further announced that approval has been granted for the construction and reconstruction of multiple strategic roads totalling 20.1 kilometres, at a cost of N26.7 billion.
These roads, according to him, include: a new road from ATC Gombe linking the GSU Express Road; reconstruction of Layin Speaker Road and its extension to connect with Kasuwan Mata Road; additional roads within the Special Capital Development Zone, including the extension of the new express road from Federal Teaching Hospital (FTH) through the new State Secretariat Complex under construction, passing through Shongo Housing Estate and linking up with the Western By-pass (Rumbuna Road).
The commissioner also announced council’s approval of N714,366,691 for the provision of roads and other essential facilities at the Qatar Foundation site along the Southern By-pass, to ensure optimal use of the facility for the benefit of the people of Gombe State, while further approval of N202.6 million was given for the construction of a Gombe Geographic Information Systems (GOGIS) Area Office in the Shehu Abubakar District.
Speaking on the approval for the upgrade of the Gombe International Airport, Lawanti, the commissioner, disclosed that N669,982,913 has been allocated for the renovation and upgrade of the airport where new administrative block and modern toilets will be built, as well as other upgrades that will bring the airport in line with international standards.
The Commissioner noted that since the airport was constructed in 2005 and became operational in 2008, it has not undergone any comprehensive maintenance, leaving many facilities obsolete or completely unavailable, while emphasizing that the airport, being one of the major entry points into the state, represents the face of Gombe and must reflect the vision of a modern, safe and investor-friendly destination.
Equally speaking on approvals relating to his Ministry, the commissioner of Finance and Economic Development, Muhammad Gambo Magaji, announced that council approved the sum of N321,000,000 for the payment of compensation to property owners affected by the ongoing construction of the underpass and other road projects across the Special Development Zone.
He also clarified the misinformation making the rounds on the payment of compensation to land owners at Jauro Abare where the Inuwa Yahaya’s administration is currently constructing an international livestock and grains market.
He maintained that the initial sum approved by the Gombe State Government for the payment of compensation to property owners in the affected area was 129,000,000, but due to public outcry, Governor Inuwa Yahaya approved a compassionate payment of an additional sum of 140,800,000 as a way of jacking up the compensation.
The commissioner also announced that governors of the Northeast states have agreed to float a regional airline that will, through it operations, improve interconnectivity within and outside the sub-region as well as improve economic development.
He therefore disclosed that each state was to contribute N5 billion, and the council has approved for Gombe to commit its own share of the funds.
The Finance Commissioner further told journalists that the Council has approved the sum of N2.1 billion for the purchase of 26 operational and security vehicles for the newly created 13 Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), which are set to begin operations in January 2026.
