Gombe State

by Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, CON, inspected the 200-bed-capacity ultramodern General Hospital in Kumo, Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State.  

The hospital replaced an earlier dilapidated facility and is designed to provide comprehensive healthcare services as a referral centre.

Governor Inuwa said, “The complete reconstruction of this hospital is part of our larger plan to provide quality and affordable healthcare services to the people. We inherited a completely moribund General Hospital that could not provide the required healthcare services due to a lack of necessary equipment. We had no choice but to rebuild it from the ground up.”

“We built the hospital to international standards so it can function as not only a general hospital but also a facility that can provide tertiary health services,” the governor added.

He explained that the state government has also established similar hospitals in Kaltungo and Bajoga and revitalised at least one primary healthcare facility in each of the state’s 114 political wards.

“Our performance in the health sector, from human resources to infrastructure, is evident for all to see”. 

Strategically located, the Kumo General Hospital will serve the local population and travellers along the Gombe-Yola road. 

The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Habu Dahiru, conducted the governor around the facility and said it can handle complex medical cases, including heart surgeries and other medical complications.

He highlighted its modern equipment and potential to become a leading healthcare centre in the state and across the Northeast.

“In this theatre, multiple operations can be performed simultaneously, making it ideal for emergency situations and life-saving interventions,” he noted.

The Governor inspected the well-equipped laboratories, wards, maternity unit, accident and emergency complex, mortuary, powerhouse, and mini water treatment plant, among other facilities.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

A massive crowd of youths enthusiastically welcomed Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya with the green-white-green Nigerian flag during his visit to Kumo, the Headquarters of Akko LGA.

The display of patriotism was a stark contrast to recent events in other parts of the country where some youths were seen waving foreign flags.

The governor was received by a jubilant crowd from the outskirts of Kumo, who accompanied him throughout his visit, expressing gratitude for the development projects undertaken in the area.

Governor Inuwa, who inspect the newly completed ultra-modern general hospital, commission road projects and flag-off new ones, commended the youths for their patriotic spirit.

“While in some places you see the flags of other countries being raised, here, you see support and love from the people,” he said, expressing optimism about the nation’s future with such a positive youth demography.

“The enthusiasm and patriotism displayed by these young people today give me great hope for Nigeria’s future. Peaceful and patriotic youths are indeed the bedrock upon which a brighter Nigeria will be built,”Gov. Inuwa asserted.

He called on the people to maintain peace and harmony, assuring them of the government’s commitment to improving their lives.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Gombe State government has dispatched truckloads of essential food items to all 11 local government areas of the state for onward distribution to the most vulnerable persons. 

This follows the approval of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, who has continued to demonstrate commitment to the welfare of the people. 

Each LGA has been allocated 1,000 bags of 50 kg sorghum, 1,000 bags of 25 kg rice, and 1,000 cartons of spaghetti pasta. 

Beyond the distribution to the 11 LGAs, an additional 5,000 bags each of rice and sorghum and 5,000 cartons of spaghetti pasta will be distributed to a wide array of groups, including faith-based organizations, civil society groups, trade unions, student unions such as the Gombe State Students Association (GOSSA) and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), and Tsangaya and Almajiri schools. 

Special consideration has also been given to youths and women groups, and people living with disabilities, as directed by the Governor to ensure that the relief package reaches those who are mostly in need, especially in the face of the current economic hardship. 

This distribution is just one of many efforts by the government to support the citizens during difficult times. 

Governor Inuwa Yahaya remains committed to implementing effective measures to support the citizens and ensure their resilience, fostering social stability amid economic challenges.

The Governor also remains grateful to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his numerous interventions and initiatives to address the economic challenges facing the nation in this challenging period.

By Abdullahi Mukhtar Algasgaini

Six indigenes of Gombe State made the list in the 200 Scholarship Award of the African Union Development Agency in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), in partnership with the Renewed Hope Initiative (RHI), of the First Lady, Senator Remi Tunibu.

The commissioner of education, Prof Aishatu Umar Maigari, stated this on Thursday in Abuja while leading the successfully selected students from Gombe State to the award presentation.

The program according to the commissioner was designed to support secondary school graduates particularly from the less privileged families to further their education at the tertiary level.

Speaking at the unveiling, held at the Banquet Hall of the State House Abuja, the First Lady Senator Remi Tinubu said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration will continue to prioritize education as evident in the various policies and programmes been implemented in the sector since inception.

Senator Tinubu also emphasised that education and empowerment of the Nigerian girl-child will consistently be given priority attention to fill the gap with their male counterparts in receiving comprehensive formal education, which she said has brought about the need for the establishment of Alternative High Schools For Girls across the country.

In a remark, the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, described the First Lady as an Education champion who is always concerned about the education of the younger generation and commended her initiatives under the Renewed Hope Initiatives, which are geared toward complementing the educational policies of the Tinibu-led administration.

The successful students to benefit from the initiative from Gombe State as approved by the office of the First Lady, Senator Tinubu, include Abdullahi Abubakar, Kamal Abdulsalam, Elisha Eglah, Muhammad Abdul-Azeez, Hajibukar Mohammed and Yunusa Umar Farouq.

They have since been inaugurated with others across the country and presented with their Award letters in a colorful event.

By Zayyad I. Muhammad 

Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, former Honourable Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, an Islamic sheikh, and a UK-trained Ph.D. holder, has found himself in a triangular situation: an Islamic sheikh, a politician, and an academic. This revered status means any issue that affects his personality will always be a hot topic and attract public scrutiny.

Pantami’s full transformation into a politician who is eyeing the ‘ballot box’ was noticed during this year’s Ramadan Tafsir; his style of delivery and the content of his messages were noticeably altered. Traditionally known for his sticking to religious contents during tafsirs, this time, the sheikh took every opportunity to showcase his extensive knowledge of the economy, geography, and global politics. This shift did not go unnoticed by the audience and observers.

Pantami’s discussions were peppered with references to economic policies, geographic strategies, and the intricacies of international relations, signalling a significant change in his focus and priorities. Pantami continues to align himself more closely with political aspirations, and his body language has also evolved to reflect this new ambition. 

Recently, controversies, debates, and discussions have emerged about Pantami’s books, Skills, Rather than Just a Degree and A Scholar’s Journey: Navigating the Academia. These books trended for a while and reignited old controversies about how he obtained his professorship. This situation has also awakened Pantami’s political adversaries, who view his behind-the-scenes early efforts to enter the Gombe state governorship race as an encroachment on their territory.

Many politicians, especially in his home state of Gombe, are upset with Pantami because they view him as an outsider who seized opportunities to occupy their ‘slots,’ first as the Director-General of NITDA and later as a federal minister representing Gombe State. However, after eight years of working independently, he now seeks their support to establish himself in their domain.

Conversely, the majority of Pantami’s critics regarding his appointment as a professor are academics. In contrast, most of those who backed the critics were Pantami’s political opponents and their supporters.

One of Pantami’s critics was reported to have penned this: 

“Mr. Pantami was only for the most part a Lecturer 1 or 2 where he first served and didn’t spend a whole working career in the university system or in a university’s employment,” he was “made” a Professor by a university where he never worked, taught, sat in its Senate, worked in its committees, never examined or marked UG or PG exam scripts, and his whole promotion papers were never processed at the departmental and faculty levels, and, indeed, he never had a payroll number… Mr. Pantami was thus never a scholar in the classical or academic sense of that word. I wonder whether he’s now teaching or giving classes or seminar papers at any university after his leaving office in May 2023.”

On the other hand, supporters of Pantami’s professorship encompass academics with a fondness for him, members of religious groups, his students, and his political associates. 

In fairness to Pantami, having held a ministerial position, he is already entrenched in politics. Moreover, the criticisms in his books predominantly consist of one-off comments rather than comprehensive analyses or academic discourse. Furthermore, Pantami’s challenge for a debate on his book is yet to take place. 

The debate about Isa Pantami’s books, professorship, and foray into politics has three divides: his adherents, his opponents, and those sitting on the fence. The views of his followers and critics are well known and are often based on their perspectives. However, those sitting on the fence have, on many occasions, provided valid points both for and against Pantami.

Isa Ali Pantami’s transition from an Islamic scholar to a politician and professor has sparked both controversy and applause. His political opponents view his entry into politics as an intrusion into their territory, while his academic critics regard his professorship as ‘unearned.’ On the other hand, his supporters perceive his multifaceted identity—as a sheikh, a politician, and a professor—as exceptional among his peers.

Zayyad I. Muhammad writes from Abuja via zaymohd@yahoo.com.

By Muhammad Umar Shehu

The recent budget allocation by Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has sparked concerns among citizens, particularly regarding the disproportionate allocation of funds. While a significant portion of ₦43.130 billion is earmarked for constructing a new governor’s residence, high court, and house of assembly complex, only ₦10 billion is allocated for road construction. This disparity raises questions about the state’s priorities and resource allocation strategy.

It is disheartening to witness such a large sum allocated to luxurious infrastructure projects while essential infrastructure like roads receives comparatively meagre funding. This allocation pattern reflects a misplaced sense of priorities and neglect of critical needs in the state.

As responsible citizens, it is imperative that we hold our leaders accountable and challenge decisions that do not align with the people’s best interests. We cannot afford to stand by idly while our state resources are mismanaged and squandered on unnecessary projects.

The people of Gombe deserve transparency and accountability in governance. We must demand greater scrutiny of budgetary allocations and ensure that public funds are effectively used to better our communities.

There is an urgent need to reallocate priorities to address pressing needs such as infrastructure development, healthcare, education, and poverty alleviation. Our leaders must be reminded of their duty to serve the people and prioritise projects that have a tangible impact on the lives of ordinary citizens.

As concerned citizens, we must unite and advocate for a more equitable distribution of resources to meet the needs of all residents of Gombe State. Together, we can hold our leaders accountable and work towards a brighter future for our state.

May Gombe State and Nigeria as a whole prosper and thrive. Amin.

Muhammad Umar Shehu wrote from Gombe via umarmuhammadshehu2@gmail.com

By Usman Muhammad Salihu

Usman Umar, also known as Sardaunan Samarin Gombe, is a figure whose name resonates not only within his community but also among his peers and colleagues. His persona is one of remarkable achievement, characterised by a relentless pursuit of excellence in every endeavour he undertakes.

From his formative years, Usman Umar has displayed an unwavering commitment to academic and personal growth. His journey as an exemplary student in secondary school paved the way for a trajectory marked by consistent success and distinction.

What sets Usman Umar apart is his academic prowess and innate ability to inspire and uplift those around him. Whether it’s through his words of encouragement or his actions that speak volumes, he has a way of leaving a lasting impact on everyone he encounters.

Beyond his academic achievements, Usman Umar is a shining example of resilience and determination. His unwavering dedication to his goals, coupled with his ability to overcome obstacles, serves as a source of inspiration for aspiring individuals.

Usman Umar’s commitment to service and community development is another defining aspect of his personality. He understands the importance of giving back to society and actively seeks opportunities to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

In essence, Usman Umar embodies the qualities of a true leader – someone who leads by example, empowers those around him, and remains steadfast in his pursuit of excellence. His story serves as a testament to the power of determination, resilience, and service in shaping a life of significance and impact.

Usman Muhammad Salihu writes via usmande5363@gmail.com.

By Musa Kalim Gambo

To start with, it must be easily concluded that Usman Bugaje is an excellent speaker for any gathering that seeks to place Nigeria on a microscopic slide to analyse its minutest of details. Therefore, Gombe State University made the best choice when it invited Bugaje to serve as the keynote speaker for the 10^th,11^th, 12^th, and 13^th pre-convocation lectures of the university last week.

Given Bugaje’s multi-disciplinary background, there could have been no doubt about his competence to speak on the theme of the pre-convocation lecture “Education and Development: The Challenge of Content, Competence, and Character in Nigerian Universities”. While a topic of this nature may sound like a cliché-ic abstraction of the troubles in the Nigerian university system, Bugaje’s treatment and perspective of the topic are both fresh and passionate.

Bugaje was out on a journey to establish the nexus between education and development. With the oft-repeated argument that there can be no meaningful progress without education, it is clearly established that Africa has had a flourishing system of knowledge transmission until the coming of the colonials. When they came, they suffocated the existing system in favour of their own.

Among the gathering, mostly the graduating students who listened to Bugaje’s lecture, not many may be aware of Africa’s glorious past and pioneering role in the development of universities around the world. Indeed, not many may be aware that what the West regards as an Arab contribution to education is largely a veil over the combined Persian and African efforts. It is a clear attempt to obscure the true position of Africa as a pacesetter in the world of knowledge and the evolution of civilisation. As poignantly described in his citation, Usman Bugaje is a pan-Africanist. This simple description as a pan-Africanist will not allow him to deliver such an important lecture without exposing the true fallacies that represent Western intervention in African education.

In many respects, Bugaje’s generation of the past benefited from a functional, effective, and not defective education system. It was such a system that prepared them to be competent for a diverse set of roles within the country and around the world. As a matter of doubt, were they so well equipped or was it simply the scarcity of manpower at that time? I have listened to many elderly people, mostly those who studied in Nigerian universities in the ‘70s and ‘80s, who, in their critique of the education and governments of today, make mention of the number of jobs they had at their disposal when they graduated. What was the Nigerian population size at that time? What was the manpower needed? And what was the economic power of the country then? These are questions that must be answered before a comparison is made between the glorious past and the gloomy today of our nation.

With the bulk of information, and indeed knowledge at the disposal of the student today, competence should not be a problem. Unfortunately, it is in many areas of modern endeavour. Within the educational system, quality of content and competence of output are intertwined, like the Staff of Asklepios or the Caduceus Wand, a symbology of the healthcare background of Bugaje.

An educational system where teachers have problems of competence across all levels will definitely have to deal with the complex question of the quality of content imparted to the students. The issues at stake here are – the relevance of the content being taught and the capacity of the teacher to deliver.

A friend of mine from one of the first-generation universities in Nigeria narrated the difficulty of his lecturer. This lecturer has taught the same content in phytochemistry for almost twenty years. He was on the verge of becoming a professor in that field of chemistry. However, he has this handwritten note that has spanned his career in this field.

In spite of being an expert in this phytochemistry, any day his handwritten note was not with him, his class would not hold. There was a day my friend and his colleagues sat for a very tough test by this soon-to-be professor of phytochemistry. They were asked to draw the chemical structure of a certain phytochemical, which was passively mentioned as an example during one of their sessions. Most of the members of the class couldn’t get the correct structure. They, therefore, requested the lecturer to help answer the question. It was quite interesting that this soon-to-be professor of phytochemistry could not answer the same question he set for his students. This suggested that in spite of his years of experience teaching the course, he would have failed if he sat for the same test.

This interestingly sad anecdote paints the picture of the Nigerian university in response to the question of competence.

Kalim writes from Zaria via gmkalim@hotmail.com.

By Nasiru Manga

Anytime Nigeria’s myriad problems and challenges are raised in a discussion which also involves how to turn around the country’s fortune, it more often than not leads to a fascinating argument among intellectuals as to which is more important between establishing a solid institution which produces successive good leadership or having a leadership of strong men to engender strong institutions. In that instant, I find myself vacillating between the two opinions. I find both of them valid and very difficult to be disputed. It’s a case of a chick and an egg dilemma regarding which must have existed first, the chick which laid the egg or the egg from which the chick was hatched.

Reasoning with either of the points, I reflected on my teenage experience in secondary school more than two decades ago. I then relate the arguments with the leadership of five or six successive principals in my secondary school, Government Arabic College, Gombe. How these principals managed the school was a practical example of the validity of the two arguments depending on the side one takes.

One of the principals, in particular, stood out. He is Malam Saidu Jibrin Kwami. His exemplary leadership during his stint as the school’s principal afforded me the feeling of what good leadership can do, even in a small school environment. Before him, his predecessors couldn’t make any difference. The principal who succeeded him couldn’t equally build on his achievements. It’s also proof that without a vital institution, a strong leader’s efforts come to nought if he leaves the stage and succeeds by a weakling. For my readers to deeply appreciate why Malam Saidu Jibrin Kwami’s exemplary leadership towered above the rest of the principals, let me take you down memory lane of what was obtainable in the school.

The system was, and until we left the boarding secondary school in 2002, the principal, in addition to the daily management of the school, was in charge of students feeding. I didn’t know whether the funds for the feeding were released to the principal directly from the state ministry of education or the ministry provided the school with all foodstuffs. It released some funds to the principal for the daily running of the school and buying groceries. But I did know that the school store was getting restocked regularly.

The three square meals day in and day out consisted of mostly pap with sometimes two pieces of ƙosai served as breakfast. The pap had no sugar, and perhaps, due to how it was prepared, it had a sedative effect on students during school hours. Black tea with rumpled tiny bread was served as breakfast once a week. The lunch and supper were either tuwo made from processed maize, mostly half-done, called gabza by students or eba made from gari, served alternately for lunch and supper. The soup for the gabza or eba, mostly miyar kuka, was prepared with little to no spices and bereft of any accompanying protein in the form of meat. Rice which one couldn’t tell whether it was a jollof rice or simply white rice without soup, was served on Thursdays. The meat was served only once in a blue moon.

It is needless to say that the rations were not enough for students. Worse of it, many students used to end up not having their rations as what was given to the cooks to prepare was barely enough to go around. The service was, therefore, on a first-come-first-served basis, excluding senior students who needed not join queues. If one missed his share, that was all, and he would be told “ka bi Yerima“, an expression meaning “you have missed, there is nothing for you.” It was said that the cliché “ka bi Yerima” has its historical origin in one of the Gombe princes who sought and lost his father’s throne to then Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar. So “ka bi Yerima” means one followed in the footsteps of the prince, a loser. Ask me not about its authenticity.

To be fair to the principals of my secondary school, the situation was almost the same in all boarding public secondary schools, at least in Gombe and Bauchi states, around that time and even some years before that, as confirmed by those who attended the boarding schools before us. There were, of course, slight differences here and there occasioned by changes of different school administrators depending on their level of prudence and management of resources.

One incident I can’t forget during my first year was a riot in the school. The then-principal was unbelievably niggardly. Students’ rations which were, to start with, too little, only enough to feed a three-year-old baby, became so frequently inadequate to go around. Kun bi Yerima became the order of the day as more and more students started missing their rations at the dining hall. This was exacerbated by the fact that it was towards the end of a term when the foodstuffs brought from home by students and some money given to them by their parents to complement the school feeding programme had finished, thereby forcing many to rely on the food provided by the school which was not enough. There was also a shortage of water in the school.

So, one morning, some senior students from SS 2 and 3 woke up and said they had had enough. They took to the school’s streets chanting slogans that the principal should go and that he was a thief. After gathering, they headed to the school’s staff houses, where the principal lived. They started pelting stones at his house. He escaped by a whisker, and the school got shut down for a few weeks.

Upon resumption, we met a new principal and were informed that about seven (7) students, leaders of the protest, were expelled from the school. But still, there was no significant improvement in school feeding or academics. We only had three to four subjects maximum, out of the nine subjects we were supposed to have daily. The only exception was when we had teaching practice students from the Federal College of Education. And during that time, permanent teachers virtually abdicated their responsibilities, leaving everything to the student-teachers. Another two principals we had afterwards couldn’t effect any change. Their priorities were neither students’ academic nor their nutritional well-being.

Then came the revolutionary principal, Malam Saidu Jibrin Kwami. We were in SS 3, about five years after that principal against whom students revolted, and the fourth in the succession of principals since we enrolled in JSS 1.

The first thing he undertook was an improvement in our academics. He frowned at some teachers habits of sitting and chit-chatting in staff rooms without attending classes. He declared that he wouldn’t condone their flagrant negligence of duty. He insisted that every teacher must not miss his lesson twice weekly without a genuine reason. We then started having completed nine lessons on an unprecedented day.

How did he achieve that? He gave all class monitors notebooks to use as registers where each teacher would write their name and append their signatures at the end of their period. At the end of the class every day, the class monitors would queue up at his office, where he checked the register of each class to see if there was an absentee teacher. He also told us in the assembly that we should report any teacher we observed wasting away their period of 30 minutes or 45 minutes blabbering instead of teaching.

Malam Jibrin Kwami also introduced extra evening classes (which we called prep) daily, save weekends. Before him, there was not much importance attached to it by his predecessors. Only junior students used to attend it, and it wasn’t daily. But during his time, he supervised the evening classes himself; and he would personally go around hostels to chase out stubborn senior students who would rather stay put in the hostels while the prep was ongoing. If he sighted a student loitering about, he would shout from afar, “Who is that gardi?” He also ensured that all the classrooms and all the streets from students’ dormitories leading to the classes were fully lit so that students wouldn’t complain of darkness. There were no Discos then, and NEPA was genuinely faithful. How he achieved that, beat me.

You may be wondering what happened to our food, right? Suffice it to say that during his short period as the school’s principal, we also saw what our parents enjoyed in public schools in the ‘70s and ‘80s. He told us that he also finished in the same school in 1982, and it was unfortunate that things had deteriorated to that level.

Most days of the week, our breakfast became tea (not just black tea, but with milk) and bread as against pap. And we started feeling the taste of sugar in our pap too. White rice and stew, tuwo and eba started competing as our lunch and supper, with rice winning most times. Pieces of meat suddenly appeared in our daily meals, and the soup started having condiments.

One day, he summoned us as the school’s prefects, informed us that we would notice a change in our meal the next day, and urged us to survey and feed him about the change.  He told us the meat price was high, so he decided to alternate the meat with fish. So he wanted us to sample students’ general opinions on the fish substitute as he knew some people didn’t like fish. Such a thoughtful leader!

Unfortunately, as they say, good things hardly last; his tenure as a principal was short-lived. No sooner had we started enjoying his good leadership than he got elevated and appointed as the secretary of our state’s pilgrim board. The school was literally thrown into mourning upon hearing the news.

The man who succeeded him couldn’t properly step into his shoes. Things started deteriorating very fast. Before you know it, we were back to square one. This is the case of having a strong man without a strong institution. And the strong institution doesn’t exist in a vacuum; it has to be built by strong men.

Nasiru Manga can be reached via nasmang@gmail.com.

By Abdulhamid Muhammad

Sunday, 25th December 2022, was a day of revelations and feedback from the Waqf Ambassadors of the Zakah and Waqf Foundation, Gombe, Nigeria. It happened during the Uncovering Potentials Workshop (UPW) organized by the Foundation for the 1st and 2nd sets of its Waqf Ambassadors, which was facilitated by Dr Najeeb A.A. Gambo, a researcher with the Microsoft Company and Nigeria’s 2nd Google Certified Trainer.

It was conducted a day after a 2-day intensive induction training for the 2022/23 Waqf Ambassadors at the Foundation’s Training Room. As usual, of all the year-long life-changing training that the Foundation organizes monthly for its 80 enrolled Waqf Ambassadors annually, the UPW was highly impactful, thought-provoking and action-triggering.

In the closing session of the workshop, scores of youth voluntarily gave their testimonies on how the sessions of the workshops they have gone through in the last 12 months have completely revolutionized the way they look at the world financially and intellectually.

One of the ambassadors narrated how excited she was after starting a business and discovering that she could now do a lot of things with her earned income without asking or waiting for someone to give her. It was a great discovery because she grew up in a society that programmed her to think that she could not make money for herself.

Another person said that it was a workshop in ZAWFOG on reading culture that ignited in him the habit of reading books, and that has completely transformed his life, making him more creative and more confident, and hopeful about life.

Another Ambassador, whose parents hitherto paid all his bills, revealed how as a result of the motivation he got from these series of lectures is now able to earn more than the national minimum wage every month despite being still a student. And many of the participants went on and on.

These are a few of the testimonies, and I wished the Chairman of the Foundation, Ameer Abdullahi Abubakar, was there at the closing session to hear how the Foundation is making an impact and transforming lives. It is clear that his model is working; the Waqf Ambassadors are fast moving from poverty (p) to prosperity (p) and soon to philanthropy (p) in sha Allah. As envisioned by the founders of the Foundation, we will soon have a generation of youth who are rich enough and committed seriously to building our society through Waqf.

May Allah accept this from all the people who have contributed in one way or the other in moulding the next generation to be a productive one, amin. May He continue to bless the Foundation and take it to greater heights.

Abdulhamid Muhammad is a 2021 Waqf Ambassador and wrote from Gombe State, Nigeria.