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The battle for the governorship race in Gombe State in the 2019 general election has begun in earnest with many contenders declaring their interest in the seat currently occupied by Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo.
Aspirants, especially those from the two prominent parties in the state- People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), are not leaving anything to chances.
Some of the aspirants claim to have the ears of some political bigwigs in the state, particularly the incumbent governor and his predecessor, Senator Danjuma Goje.
The political juggernauts on their own part want to assert their strength and supremacy by ensuring that they install the next governor or that whoever that emerges, is their own making.
Among the big names that have already made their ambition known is Jamilu Isyaku Gwamna, who is being described by some indigenes of the state as a silent servant of the people, who has impacted heavily on the development of his state in particular and the country at large.
Gwamna has also been described as a source of inspiration to many, especially, people of his age and the younger generation.
His humanitarian service is said to have touched so many indigent students who benefitted from his scholarship scheme at all levels of education- secondary, colleges of education and university.
Enumerating some of the humanitarian works of the aspirant, an indigene, who claimed that he was a beneficiary of Gwamna’s philanthropy, said: “Over twenty students are on scholarship in Kebbi State Yamasa Science and Technical School in Zaur town and many more students are also in the university on his scholarship scheme. Also his contributions to the sustenance of his party, PDP, cannot be quantified.
“Alhaji is a detribalised Nigerian in all its ramifications. He employs his staff based on qualification and merit not on religion or tribe. He has given employment to over two thousand graduates from all over the country in his capacity as a loyal servant to this country.”
Gwamna is currently the managing director and chief executive officer of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO).
The aspirant has promised Gombe people a new lease of life. Although he commends the efforts of past and present administrations in the state, he believes that Gombe is a work in progress.
On his facebook wall, the businessman-turned politician, notes that “Success comes to those who are too busy to look for it.”
He believes that his aspiration to become the governor of the state cannot come on a platter of gold despite his past achievements, but through conscious efforts to tell people what he has in store for them. He also urged the Gombe indigenes to get involved in the politics of the state in order to bring the desired development.
“Politics is too important to be left to politicians alone, get involved,” he said.
Gwamna is a decorated man with the National Honour of Member of the Order of the Federal Republic (MFR) and he is a titled man as the Sardaunan Gombe.
After his graduation from the Ahmadu Bello University he started his working career with the Nigerian Bank of Commerce and Industry in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
He later switched from finance to industry, when he joined Kaduna Aluminum Limited from where he moved over to Kaduna Machine Works as group chief accountant. While he was preparing for an executive position, he was initially promoted to the post of marketing manager before being appointed the general manager of Kaduna Machine Works.
In 1990, having garnered enough experience as a result of his commercial and managerial exposure at the executive and board levels in the utility, heavy equipment distribution and manufacturing businesses, Gwamna left to manage his own business, the Amstrade Ventures Limited, a company which imports and sells heavy duty, earth-moving equipment.
Gwaman was also the managing director and co-founder of Jamen consultancy.
In 2000, he started work in the utility sector when he accepted the position of the first executive chairman of Gombe State Water Corporation. He had also served as the managing director of Sahelian Energy and Integrated Service Limited before taking up the position of managing director and chief executive officer of Kano Electricity Distribution Company (KEDCO).
KEDCO being one of the eleven distribution companies that emerged from the privatisation exercise in the Goodluck Jonathan administration as part of the electricity power sector reform programme implementation. It is located in the North Western geopolitical zone of Nigeria.
The company has the licence to generate, distribute and market electricity in three states of Kano, Jigawa and Katsina. The geographical coverage of the company is 67,128 km2, and also it has the largest population with the combined population of three states at about 19,564,000 as at 2006 national census.
The KEDCO boss obtained his Doctorate Degree from the London Metropolitan University in 2008.
Musa Aliyu, Kano
