The country celebrated its democracy day on May 29, 2018. It marked the day Nigeria returned to democratic governance after a prolonged military rule. Between May 29, 1999 and now, many democracy days have been celebrated. Perhaps what made this year’s Democracy Day unique was the opportunity which the day afforded many of the governors to showcase what they have achieved, particularly within the last one year of their administration.
On the occasion of this year’s democracy day, many of the governors wore distraught faces, not knowing what to tell the citizens of their states on the democracy dividends they have delivered to the people. Yet, a few other governors beamed with smiles and stood tall among their people because they have delivered much dividends of democracy to the citizens of their states.
In the past, only governors of Lagos, Rivers and perhaps Ogun and Delta states were known for consistently delivering democratic dividends to their citizens. This year, Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo joined the ranks of governors that delivered dividends of democracy to citizens of their states. It was, therefore, no wonder that Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo, Talban Gombe, was given thumps up and accolades by the people of his state for delivering on his promises to the people of the state and for giving dividends of democracy to the people of Gombe State for seven unbroken years.
Reports say that Governor Dankwambo is one of the best labour friendly governors in the northern part of the country. He is known for paying workers salaries as and when due and for prompt payment of pensions. The NLC themselves honoured him with that. Gombe State is an agrarian state which has been transformed within the past seven years through the procurement of 225 tractor units, modern markets were constructed, cotton farming has grown in the state, while restrained poultry farming is growing in the state.
Governor Dankwambo’s achievements and contributions to the development of the state is a reference point by members of his party and even by members of APC. His achievements are simply described as “the face of good governance in Nigeria.” Reports also say that his performance has won him some nick names like “Talban Aiki, Super Governor and Tomorrow’s President.”
Even his political enemies in the APC acknowledge that Dankwambo has achieved several things much more than all his predecessors put together. One is his ability to dismantle the menace and excesses of the Kalare hoodlums who had portrayed the state in bad light in the past and turned them to worthy ambassadors of the state through different skill trainings and jobs.
He upgraded the 1500-bed Urban Maternity to Children and Women Hospital Idi. He also constructed a Dialysis Centre, in the Specialist Hospital, Gombe. He also constructed the College of Nursing and Midwifery, Dukku and the Snake-bite Centre in Kaltungo as well as supplied and installed four Dialysis machines.
Governor Dankwambo also rehabilitated and reticulated pipelines and extension to Kwami, Gadam and provided extension of water supply to Baure, Dangar and many more communities. He also constructed and earth dam at Boh in Shongom Local Government Area.
Even in the midst of the economic crunch and recession that ravaged the nation‘s economy, Governor Dankwambo has improved the living condition of Gombe people through laudable and human development oriented projects. For example, he established a micro finance bank for farmers and SMEs in all of the local government areas areas in the
state.
He also broke the fertilizer monopoly jinx by making much more available to the farmers, just as he procured over 200 Mersey Ferguson tractors as well as other farming implements. In the area of road construction, Governor Dankwambo also constructed more than 20 times more roads than all of his predecessors. He also renovated and constructed over 502 classrooms, recruited of over 1,000 Degree/NCE graduates apart from training of over 5,000 teachers.
