Presently, while the list of aspirants is growing by the day, one cannot say with certainty whether they fully comprehend the myriad of problems needing attention and the way and manner to tackle them.
To the credit of the present administration, the next governor will have little to tackle in the area of infrastructure.
But the next governor must, as a matter of priority, tackle head long the issue of peace and security in the state, aka ‘Kalare’ boys which is synonimous with Gombe State. These boys (Kalare), who allegedly have the backing of political heavy weights in the state have maimed and even killed whenever their ‘masters’ are criticized.
Instances abound and are well documented by law enforcement agencies when ‘Kalare’ boys invaded some communities, slaughtered people and burnt down houses.
Gombe State is also in dire need of a governor who will tackle the decay in our health institutions. New hospitals were built and some renovated, but the state lacks adequate and qualified manpower for these hospitals.
The next governor will also, as a matter of urgency, tackle the decay in our education system. While new classroom blocks are being built in our primary schools, there is a dearth of qualified teachers. Mention must also be made of the lack of infrastructure and teachers in the secondary schools.
The next governor will have to tackle the issue of indispline and must learn to accept criticism which is a cardinal principle of democratic governance. So we need a governor who is patient, humble, respectful and, above all, willing to be of service to the citizens of the state.
The next governor will have to tackle the issue of economic empowerment. Gombe was once decribed as the economic hub of the North East sub-region, but that is history.
We need a governor who will provide a conducive atmosphere for the conduct of free and fair elections in the state. There’s no gain saying that, there were no elections in Gombe in 2003, but an imposition. Equally in 2007, it was ballot box stealing and stuffing. But that is a story for another day.
Bello Sani, Pantami quarters, Gombe.