In what could be likened to an official visit, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami was in Gombe to inspect some development projects, as well as to engage stakeholders and well-meaning individuals, to connect and to interact with different sections of citizenry as part of his efforts to maintain and ensure a continuous interaction with stakeholders in the state and identification and maximization of areas of opportunities towards promotion of prosperity, peace, unity and progress.
The visit debuted with reception of homages from a vast majority of the populace, followed by the minister himself paying visit to a number of individuals and stakeholders as a means of strengthening communication and bridge the gap between those at the grassroots level.
Most notably, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami visited the proposed Pen Resources University where he inspected both the secondary and the proposed tertiary sections of the institution, and witnessed first-hand the Robotic Centre which is in line with the Minister’s advocacy for promotion of skills acquisition over empty paper qualifications. The proprietor of the centre collaboratively remarked that the primary objective of the centre is to produce skilled employees needed by the country to reach a greater height as against proliferation of paper qualifications that fill the country up with an army of unemployable graduates.
In the same vein, the Minister joined the renown political godfather and the architect of the modern Gombe, Senator Danjuma Goje and the governor of the state as they all moved to the emir’s palace for the eid el Kabir prayer amidst a mammoth congregation which included the philanthropist Emir himself, Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III. They all listened with rapt attention to the sermon whose theme was among others the need to continue striving for means to make Nigeria a great haven of peace, comfort and progress.
Also, the Minister engaged the radio and TV stations such as the popular Progress Radio, NTA Gombe, Vision Radio, GMTV, etc in the state where he highlighted the myriad of prospects and opportunities his representation of the state has made accrued to the state and the country at large especially in the areas of the ICT and numerous other means aimed at launching the state for the promised land. He likewise reiterated the commitment and the contributions of president Muhammadu Buhari towards making Nigeria a haven of peace, prosperity and harmony.
You may recall the Honourable Minister as the representative of Gombe state at the Federal executive council has been unrelenting in his effort to bring diverse opportunities for the state, including but not limited to IT labs and training centers, securing infrastructural developments and human capital projects, job opportunities, etc. This visit came after his recent presence in the state to commission an edifice inside Gombe General Post Office as part of his numerous contributions to the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria.
This same act and many more extended to Gombe and other states of the Federation are without doubt, nationally felt and serve as veritable attestations to his recognition as the Minister of the year and recipient of numerous leadership awards both at state and national levels.
Adamu Usman Garko writes from Gombe state.
