Gombe State Governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya has challenged the Governing Council and Management of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Gombe to be ingenious towards coming up with realistic solutions that will help in addressing some fundamental issues affecting the institution.

Governor Inuwa Yahaya threw the challenge when he granted audience to members of the Governing Council as well as management of the College led by the Chairman of the Council, Ambassador Sahabi Isa Gada.

He said being the premier federal institution in the State, FCE ( T) Gombe has continued to render incredible academic services to the people of Gombe and those from other parts of the country.

“I make bold to say that FCE (T) has contributed tremendously not only to Gombe but to the entire country in terms of quality and content. I think the College is among those category of schools in this country that are highly rated”.

To this end, Governor Inuwa Yahaya tasked the management of the College to redouble efforts towards churning out and possibly exporting its products outside the country to compete on the global stage in academic research and development.

“Once we have high quality products we can export them anywhere in the world; so we must think big, plan big and act big before we become big. Nigeria must push and see that whatever we do is exportable so that we can earn foreign exchange that will be used to sustain our people instead of waiting and becoming a consumer nation”.

Governor Yahaya told the FCE Governing Council that Gombe State Government, through NEWMAP, had succeeded in controlling the monstrous 7.5 kilometre GSU- Malam Inna gully erosion which gulped about 3 billion naira.

The Governor who assured his guests that the gullies ravaging the landscapes of the FCE T will equally be attended to with a view to protecting the College, however explained that Gombe State is at the moment challenged by over 200 active gullies and arresting such monstrous gorge within the limited resources of the State is simply a herculean task.

Governor Inuwa Yahaya observed that the situation of gullies in the State is further compounded by poor Agricultural practices which often take the form of indiscriminate felling of trees to ultimately pave way for environmental degradation and desertification.

“The FCE has a lot to do in this regard. I believe you do courses in Agricultural mechanization or extension or anything similar; you must therefore think towards contributing so that we can jointly address the problem”.

The Governor noted that climate change and global warming were the reasons why people had to migrate with their animals in search of means of survival and therefore called on all men and women of goodwill to take special interest in regenerating the environment for the benefit of all and sundry.

On the issue of Students’ hostel and provision of portable water, Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya said his administration will consider the requests within its means.

“So we must join hands and work together because the problem is common to us and the people are our own most especially when you mention that 95 percent of the students are from Gombe State so at the end of the day helping you is like helping our own selves”.

Earlier speaking, the Chairman, Governing Council of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Gombe, Ambassador Sahabi Isa Gada said they were in the State as part of the Council’s quarterly engagements to brainstorm on the high and low lights of the institution.

He said since its establishment in 1977, the College has produced over twenty thousand NCE certificate holders and a handful of graduates from its degree programmes affiliated to the University of Maiduguri.

Ambassador Sahabi Gada said despite some of the College’s successes in producing teachers to fill in the man power gap in primary and post primary schools, the institution is challenged with monstrous gullies, lack of portable water and hostel accommodation for students.

He therefore appealed to the Gombe State Government to look into the possibility of assisting the College within available resources.

The Chairman Governing Council used the visit to extol Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya for displaying uncommon leadership towards the provision of infrastructure that have direct bearing on the lives of the common man.

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