It is with great pleasure and a deep sense of responsibility that I welcome you all to the second Gombe State Security Summit.

The summit, whose theme is: ‘’Building a Safer and More Secure Gombe State: Addressing Insecurity Through Collective Action’’ to reaffirm our commitment to peace, security, and sustainable development in Gombe State and the broader North-East subregion.

Let me begin by extending a special welcome to the National Security Adviser, whose presence underscores the importance of this summit. Your Excellency, I would like to commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the tremendous progress being recorded in the light against banditry, Boko Haram, and other forms of criminality across the nation. As National Security Adviser, your leadership and unwavering commitment to securing Nigeria have not gone unnoticed, and we are grateful for your efforts.

The second Gombe State Security Summit is organized in order to build on the success of the first Gombe Security Summit which was held in August 2022. It brings together key stakeholders to discuss, identify, and propose actionable solutions to the insecurity challenges facing our state and the broader North-East subregion.

Security is the primary responsibility of every government. Without security, there can be no peace, and without peace, there can be no development. This nexus between security, peace and development is the foundation upon which we must build our collective efforts. In Gombe State, we have always recognized that the safety and well-being of our people are a top priority.

Gombe State, though relatively stable, continues to face its own share of challenges. These include spill-over effects from neighbouring states, legacy issues like communal and farmer-herder clashes, and emerging threats such as cattle rustling, banditry, kidnapping, and other crimes. To address these issues comprehensively, we must embrace collective action, requiring the cooperation of stakeholders at all levels; security agencies, traditional and community leaders, religious leaders, civil society organizations, and the private sector.

The recent endbadgovernance protests in August last year served as a stark reminder of the growing youth unrest in our society. Driven by frustration over joblessness and lack of opportunities, the protests highlight the ticking time bomb we face when we urgently address these challenges. Our youth, as the leaders of tomorrow, a degree of attention and the backbone of our society, deserve our highest. We must combat the menace of drug abuse among our youth, and we must  work tirelessly to harness their creative potentials by equipping them with education, skills, and the opportunities they need to succeed in our fast-changing world. In Gombe State, we have taken steps to empower our youth through initiatives like skills development. Programmes entrepreneurship support, and investment in education. However, more needs to be done at all levels of government and society to ensure that our young people are not left behind. It is only by addressing the root causes of youtrestveness that we can build a more inclusive, productive, and peaceful society for generations to come.

Over the past 6 years, our administration adopted a holistic approach to tackling insecurity through the three pillars of Defence Development, and Dialogue.

Through defence, we invest in strengthening the readiness and offensive capabilities of our security agencies by providing operational vehicles, equipment, and other critical support. Initiatives like GOSTEC and Operation Hattara have enhanced community policing and supported law enforcement efforts. These measures have contributed to Gombe being adjudged as one of the safest and most peaceful states in the country in 2022, a testament to our proactive and inclusive approach to security.

On development, we are making concerted efforts towards addressing the root causes of insecurity by investing in basic services, provision of infrastructure and human capital development. In the education sector, we have constructed and renovated over 1,600 classrooms across 350 primary and secondary schools, recruited 1,000 teachers, and mopped up 350,000 out-of-school  children. We also built 5 Mega Colleges, in addition to building integrated Almajiri Tsangaya schools across the state.

In the health sector, we have delivered a fully functional primary healthcare centre in each of the 114 wards, upgraded 4 general hospitals to specialist standards, and enrolled 353,000 residents under the Gombe State Contributory Healthcare (Go=Health), including over 100,000 poor and vulnerable individuals through the Basic Healthcare Provision Fund. On water, sanitation and hygiene, we upgraded the Gombe Water Supply Scheme and implemented Local Government Water Supply Scheme in order to address perennial water water shortages, constructed over 700 boreholes, and delivered basic sanitation and hygiene facilities across the state. All these interventions are geared towards tackling the root causes of underdevelopment, poverty, illiteracy, and deprivation, which provide fertile ground for crimes and criminality.

In community dialogue, we have adopted a proactive approach to addressing security challenges by prioritizing early detection of potential threats, convening regular stakeholder meetings, and fostering consultations with community leaders., security agencies, and other critical stakeholders. This approach allows us to identify and address conflicts at their roots, nipping them in the bud before they escalate into a full blown crisis. By leading from the  front and demonstrating our unwavering concern for the welfare of our people, we have been able to maintain relative peace and stability in the state. This commitment to proactive engagement and conflict prevention remains a cornerstone of our security strategy, ensuring that Gombe continues to be a safe haven for its residents and a model for others to emulate.

The nexus between climate change and insecurity is real and cannot be ignored. Deforestation, desertification, and environmental degradation have exacerbated competition over natural resources, often bringing farmers and herders into conflict.

In Gombe state, we have taken proactive steps to address these challenges. Through the Gombe Goes Green project, we have planted over 5 million trees to combat deforestation and desertification. We have also taken steps to restore grazing and and forest reserves, and are addressing the menace of monstrous gullies across the state. These initiatives not only aim to mitigate the effect of climate change but to also reduce the potential for conflict over dwindling natural resources. By restoring our environment, we are creating a more sustainable future for our people and reducing the pressures that often lead to insecurity.The success we have achieved in Gombe state would not have been possible without the cooperation of our security agencies – the police, military, DSS, NSCDC NDLEA and other security related agencies and stakeholers. I commend them for their dedication and pay and pay special tribute to the brave men and women of our armed forces who have paid the supreme price in defence of our fatherland.

As part of our ongoing efforts to enhance security in Gombe state, I am pleased to announce the donation of 50 operational vehicles to various security agencies operating within the state. This gesture is aimed at bolstering their capacity to combat crime, ensure peace, and maintain stability across our communities. It also demonstrates our unwavering commitment to providing our security agencies with the resources they need to discharge their responsibilities effectively. I urge the recipients of these vehicles to make good use of them and to continue giving their all towards building a safer and more secure Gombe state. Together, we can achieve our shared goal of peace and prosperity for all.

We expect this summit to produce concrete recommendations and strategies for enhancing security coordination in Gombe State. It will also strengthen partnerships between government., security agencies, and local communities for effective crime prevention and control. Furthermore, we aim to develop a blueprint for sustainable peace initiatives to address the underlying causes of conflict and insecurity, and establish a working group to oversee the implementation of resolutions from the summit.

I call on all participants to engage in open, constructive and respectful deliberations. Let us remember that the safety and security of our people depends on the decisions we make here today. Together, we can build a safer and more secure Gombe state, serving as a model for other states across the federation.

Once again, I thankMr. President for his commitment to the security, stability, and territorial integrity of our nation. To my brother, the National Security Adviser, we remain grateful for your participation and invaluable contribution to Nigeria’s security. To our resource persons, organizers and distinguished guests, I thank you for your contributions and wish us all a very successful summit.

Thank you for listening and may God bless you all.

God bless Gombe State.!

God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!