How Gov Yahaya is making crimes unattractive to Gombe youths
By Ben NGWAKWE Gombe
Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has marshalled out many policies and programmes since the assumption of office to address youths unemployment, provide interventionistic measures such as empowerment of youths, children and women, and maintain stability and ensure peaceful co-existence in the state.
The aftermaths of these policies of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is anchored on the fact that insurgency created by Boko Haram activities have destroyed the economy, social welfare of the people and created many Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) which some political pundits in the North-East zone attributed to lack of unemployment by the youths, lack of infrastructural development and poverty as some of the reasons that led to these ugly developments in the zone.
Gombe State being the commercial hub of economic activities in the region and being relatively peaceful is the shock absorber in the zone.
Imperatively, the Governor has no option but to do the needful by putting some necessary infrastructurally developments in place to guarantee his administration’s giant strides to prevent these merchants of death from luring these innocent youths into the trade.
On several fora, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya had vowed that his administration shall continue to strengthen agricultural activities and to provide employment opportunities to reduce the menace of activities of insurgency, crimes and criminalities in the zone.
“Our administration will continue to partner and collaborate with the Federal Government in its Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) geared towards facilitating the development of various value chains. These value chains include Rice, Sorghum and Tomatoes. The development of these value chains will also provide employment opportunities to many people, who will serve as service providers, manufacturers, financiers, producers and transporters”.
“Also, this government will continue with the implementation of various agricultural programmes which are aimed at assisting farmers with inputs such as fertilizers, water pumps, seeds, agrochemicals and other irrigation equipment. This is in line with our 10-year development plan”.
He added that “Government will continue to provide the enabling environment for our youths to be engaged”.
Addressing the mammoth crowd at the occasion of the Ground Breaking ceremony of 2021 Dry Season Wheat Production at Dogon Ruwa in Kaltungo Local Government Area of Gombe State by the National Agricultural Land Development Authority (NALDA) in conjunction with the Gombe State Government to increase food security in the state and the country at large, the governor said he would continue to make the state comfortable for investors to come and engage youths.
The Governor said the flag-off ceremony was part of the commitments of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and that of the state government towards boosting the agricultural sector and ensuring food security in the country.
“On this, NALDA is following President Muhammadu Buhari’s mandate to make agriculture attractive to youths in the country and encourage them to see agriculture as a way of life and means of livelihood to attain economic prosperity.”
He noted that the Dry Season Wheat Production is in line with the ongoing efforts to bridge the national deficit in wheat production in the country and reduce importation.
“The project is targeting nine states at the moment with a land size of about 2,500 hectares and an expected yield of about 10,000 metric tons of wheat. The state governments are to provide the lands while inputs such as seeds, pumping machines, generators, fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides are to be delivered to the selected farmers by NALDA”.
The Governor said, “Gombe State Government is the only state in the federation that ensured bush clearing, land preparation and wash boreholes for the farmers as a means of subsidy to the loans by NALDA”.
The Governor also appreciated the laudable projects executed by NALDA in Gombe State which includes the following:
(i) Support for dry season cultivation of wheat on 200 hectares for about 400 farmers at Fafa in Nafada and Dogon Ruwa in Kaltungo Local Governments;
(ii) Perishable Vegetables Market at Kwadon in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government;
(iii) Support for 250 pepper farmers across the State;
(iv) Support for fishermen at Dadinkowa Dam, and
(v) The support of 50 farmers at Kumo, Akko Local Government Area.
The Governor added further that all these are testimonies in fulfilling the campaign promises to the people of Gombe State and the federation at large by the APC led administration.
“You are aware that agriculture is the mainstay of our economy which provides food and employment to over 75 per cent of the populace. The government will not relent efforts in providing the necessary assistance and supports needed by this group to meet up with their requirements”.
“Government will continue to provide the enabling environment for our youths to be engaged in agriculture. We will ensure the take-up of the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Training Centre at Garin Tafida, Yamaltu Deba LGA. Equally, the farm estate institute of NALDA will take up at the same Centre. The government will commence the training of youths in poultry and livestock production to boost the economic base of the State and empower them economically”.
Stressing that the task of developing the agricultural sector was a collective responsibility and the governor called on farmers, extension workers, well-to-do individuals and all agricultural stakeholders, especially our youths to complement the efforts of the Government towards boosting agricultural production in the State and Nigeria as a country.
