By Auwal Ahmad, Gombe

Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, has commissioned roads, a bridge, a Local Council Development Area (LCDA) secretariat and two district head palaces in Kwami Local Government Area of Gombe State.

The projects, located in Bojude and Daban Fulani communities, were commissioned by Zulum during a ceremony attended by Gombe State Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya and other government officials, traditional rulers and residents.

Speaking at the event, Zulum said the projects reflected the importance of investing simultaneously in infrastructure, grassroots administration and traditional institutions.

He said the roads and bridge would improve connectivity for rural communities and make it easier for residents to access markets, schools, healthcare facilities and other essential services.

According to him, improved road networks could also help farmers move their produce to markets and strengthen economic activities in rural areas.

“For our rural communities, a reliable road can make the difference between produce reaching the market and going to waste; between a child attending school regularly and struggling to get there; and between a patient receiving timely care and facing a difficult journey,” he said.

Zulum commended the Gombe State Government for prioritising infrastructure development in Kwami, saying better connectivity remained essential to improving livelihoods and expanding economic opportunities.

He, however, said the success of the newly commissioned Bojude LCDA Secretariat would depend largely on the quality of services delivered to residents.

The governor urged officials working at the secretariat to make responsiveness, accountability and fairness central to their responsibilities.

“I urge those who will work in this secretariat to make it a place where citizens are welcomed, listened to, and served with fairness and respect,” he said.

Zulum also stressed the importance of traditional institutions, particularly in maintaining peace, resolving disputes and strengthening the relationship between government and local communities.

He said the new palaces for the District Heads of Bojude and Daban Fulani should serve not only as administrative residences but also as centres for dialogue, reconciliation and community leadership.

“Our traditional rulers preserve our heritage, promote peaceful coexistence, help resolve disputes, and provide a vital link between government and the people,” he said.

The Borno governor urged traditional rulers to continue supporting government efforts in education, peacebuilding, community cooperation and security.

He commended Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s administration for executing the projects, stressing that governments in the North-East needed to work together to address the region’s development challenges.

Zulum said the region’s governors had a shared responsibility to strengthen institutions, expand opportunities and improve the conditions of citizens.

He also appealed to residents of Bojude and Daban Fulani to protect the newly commissioned facilities and ensure that they were properly maintained.

“Let us also remember that commissioning marks the beginning of a facility’s service to the public. The work must continue through proper maintenance, effective administration, and a lasting commitment to the people for whom these projects were built,” he said.

Zulum thereafter formally commissioned the roads and bridge projects, the Bojude LCDA Secretariat and the district head palaces in Bojude and Daban Fulani for use by the communities.

He prayed for continued peace and development in Gombe State, Borno State, the North-East and Nigeria.

In his remarks, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya said the creation of the Local Council Development Areas was aimed at bringing governance and development closer to the people. He said the initiative was inspired by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s experience as governor of Lagos State, where similar structures were used to deepen grassroots administration and improve access to government services.

Inuwa said the establishment of the 13 development areas was part of his administration’s effort to strengthen local governance and ensure that communities received greater attention in the delivery of infrastructure and public services. He expressed appreciation to Governor Zulum for honouring the invitation to commission the projects, describing his presence as a demonstration of the bonds of cooperation and solidarity among North-East states.

By Auwal Ahmad Umar

The Gombe State Government and civil society organisations have renewed their commitment to promoting citizen participation, transparency and accountability in the state’s budget and development processes.

Director of Budget Muhammad Adamu, who represented the Commissioner for Budget and Planning, stated this while speaking during the presentation of the 2025 Citizens’ Accountability Report to civil society organisations and community leaders across the Gombe North and Gombe South Senatorial Districts on Wednesday.

Adamu said the report reflected the government’s commitment to transparent, accountable and responsive governance, describing it as an important tool for building public confidence and strengthening the relationship between government and citizens. He urged participants to ask questions, make constructive contributions and provide feedback capable of improving public resource management and service delivery.

The engagement, organised by the Gombe State Civil Society Network (GONET), brought together government officials, civil society organisations, community leaders, youth representatives and members of the media to deliberate on budget accountability and citizens’ participation in governance.

Chairman of GONET, Ambassador Ibrahim Yusuf, said continuous engagement with citizens was improving accountability and communication between government and communities. He said the network was promoting constructive dialogue rather than simply blaming government, by providing citizens with information about policies, budgets and development projects.

Yusuf explained that GONET also serves as a platform for citizens to communicate their needs and priorities to government, creating a two-way engagement that has contributed to the inclusion of some community-driven projects in government budgets.

He said GONET would sustain its engagement with communities until information gaps and misconceptions between citizens and government were substantially reduced.

Also speaking, youth advocate from Billiri Local Government Area, Joy Haida, described citizen participation in budgeting and development planning as crucial to strengthening cooperation between communities and government.

Haida said the 2025 Citizens’ Accountability Report showed that some issues raised by citizens had been reflected in ongoing infrastructure projects, including road construction. She, however, called for effective implementation of identified projects across communities, stressing that successful delivery would boost public confidence and promote inclusive development.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Ward Development Committee (WDC) in Bare Local Government Area, Muhammad Jonh Tarasu, urged the Gombe State Government and GONET to take citizen engagement on the budget directly to grassroots communities across the state.

Tarasu said taking the engagement to the grassroots would empower citizens, community leaders and WDCs to understand government budgets, monitor projects and demand accountability.

He commended GONET for its efforts and called for wider participation to strengthen government-community relations, improve transparency and enhance service delivery and development across Gombe State.

By Auwal Ahmad Umar

Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has reconstituted the state Committee on the Preservation of Museums and Monuments, in a move aimed at protecting the state’s historical sites and cultural heritage.

The development was announced in a statement signed by Ismaila Uba Misilli, Director-General, Press Affairs, Government House, Gombe, on behalf of the state government.

The Secretary to the State Government, Ibrahim Abubakar Njodi, said the governor approved the new composition of the committee to strengthen efforts to preserve historical records, monuments and other cultural assets across the state.

The Emir of Gombe, Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, CFR, will chair the committee, while the Commissioner for Information, Strategy and Culture will serve as deputy chairman.

Other members are the Gombe State Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), the Director-General of Gombe Media Corporation, elder statesman Yaya Hammari, also known as Wazirin Yeriman Gombe, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, Yakubu Sarma, historian Usman Isa Ya’u, and Abdulfatah Aliyu, Dan Amar Kaltungo.

The Head of the Civil Service, Muazu Shehu, will serve as secretary.

Mr Njodi said the composition reflected the administration’s recognition of the importance of preserving the heritage that defines the identity and collective memory of Gombe residents.

“The committee is expected to ensure that important historical landmarks and cultural assets are not allowed to disappear with time, but are properly preserved and handed down to future generations,” Mr Njodi said.

The initiative is also expected to support greater awareness of Gombe’s historical and cultural resources and encourage their protection for educational, cultural and tourism purposes.

The government said the appointments take immediate effect.