Gov. Yahaya Is Undeserving Of Award in Ease of Doing Business In Gombe State – Danbarde Says

BY WILLIAM ATTAH, GOMBE – A former stalwart of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Gombe State, Mr Mohammed Jibrin Danbarde, has faulted the award of ‘best State’ in doing business conferred on Governor Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya as totally misplaced and far from the actual situation of things in the state.

This was as he berated Governor Inuwa for engaging in what he described as “callous statements” capable of inciting unrest in the State and with the potency of dividing the interwoven, interrelated people of the State.

Danbarde, who came second during the Governorship primary election of the APC in 2019, pointedly said that Gombe is not a good example of a state with the ease of doing business because business men and their capital have been dissipated.

He specifically said that based on facts on ground, Governor Yahaya does not deserve the award in any material particular as it does not in any way reflect the reality on ground.

The former APC Chieftain, who recently defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), said the award presented to Governor Yahaya as the best performing State and number one in the ease of doing business among the 36 States and the FCT by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo at the banquet hall of the Presidential Villa on June 27, 2021, during (Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises) MSME’s 4th award dinner, was undeserving and unworthy.

Danbarde told newsmen after a meeting with officials of the PDP at its Secretariat that; “There is currently massive withdrawal of ownership of lands that belongs to orphans, businessmen, families in Gombe, as such, eroding so many people who have invested in land the privilege of free business enterprise.

“Do you call that ease of doing business? Who will come and invest in Gombe? If I invest my capital, inheritance in purchasing and doing business, suddenly government comes and take it, do you call that ease of doing business?” he asked?

Danbarde said that he left the APC because of bad governance in the State under Governor Yahaya that is taking the state backwards in decades owing to ego and personalization of everything in the state.

He further said; “What Gombe State is witnessing today is a government of an individual, by an individual and for an individual and not the government of the people, for the people, by the people, as democracy enshrines.

“Leadership is a sacred trust that has been entrusted by our forefathers in our hands, that trust must be carried along and protected at whatever cost for the brighter future of the State.

“What I gathered when I went round is the fact that the people want good governance, but unfortunately, what we have in Gombe State at the moment is bad governance,” Danbarde said.

Earlier, State Chairman of the PDP, Major General Amnon Kalayi Kwaskebe (rtd), described the coming of Danbarde into the party as the result of relentless hard work by the party to correct its past mistakes.

He said; “We have been working relentlessly to correct our past mistakes and our people are coming back home and he is one out of so many that are on their way. Many have returned we will formalise their return,” he said.