The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Gombe State, Professor Isah Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has identified poverty, disunity and neglect of human development as major challenges confronting the state ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Pantami stated this in an interview in Abuja, saying poverty had contributed to insecurity and other social vices in the state.
According to him, the National Multidimensional Poverty Index ranked Gombe as the third poorest state in the country, with 86.2 per cent of its people living in abject poverty.
He said the situation required urgent attention, adding that his administration, if elected, would focus on programmes aimed at empowering women and youths and improving their economic opportunities.
Pantami also identified disunity as another challenge, attributing it to what he described as the manipulation of the state’s diversity by the political class.
He said people should be allowed to participate in the affairs of the state irrespective of their religious beliefs, tribe, culture or social status.
The former Minister of Digital Economy also expressed concern over what he described as the neglect of human development, particularly in the northern part of the country.
He argued that emphasis on infrastructure without corresponding investment in human development could not produce meaningful achievement.
On youth development, Pantami said his administration would provide basic and advanced skills to enable young people to compete locally and internationally.
He also said the state would address the issue of out-of-school children, citing a figure of about 787,000 children in Gombe State, which he attributed to the National Bureau of Statistics and others.
On agriculture, the PDP candidate said he would seek to move the state from traditional agriculture to smart agriculture through a pilot scheme.
He said artificial intelligence and machine learning would be deployed in farming, adding that his administration would also seek to improve the quality of Gombe ginger and livestock for export.
Pantami also proposed dual education, saying students would acquire academic qualifications alongside practical skills.
He said youths would be trained in areas including artificial intelligence and blockchain technology, while international certifications would be supported to improve their competitiveness in the global market.
On the 2027 campaign, Pantami said violence would have no place in his team, adding that he intended to campaign on his record in public office.
He cited his former positions as Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Minister of Digital Economy between 2019 and 2023.
Pantami claimed that he executed 4,334 projects across the country as minister, including 421 projects in Gombe State.
He also called for a debate among governorship candidates, saying he was prepared to present his record and plans before the public.
On his first 100 days in office, Pantami said he would focus on reuniting the people of the state, reviewing workers’ welfare and improving the welfare of pensioners.
He particularly criticised the situation where some pensioners, according to him, receive ₦9,000 monthly after 35 years of service, describing it as inhuman.
