Residents in the Tumfure community in Akko Local Government Area (LGA) of Gombe state has commended Senator Muhammad Danjuma Goje for offering to build their only school to end children’s long trek seeking for knowledge.
Goje’s plan to end the agelong tradition of 2.5 kilometres trek to school brought a lot of joy to parents who came together to establish a community primary school in the area in 2018.
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According to Malam Safiyanu Abubakar, a father of nine, “our children’s long trekking from Tumfure to Orji Estate and the risk attached to trekking along the federal highway linking Bauchi, Gombe to Biu in Borno was what prompted us to open this primary which is called Doubela Primary”.
He explained that establishing the school the community development association borrowed an Islamiya school to house primary school students in the area. However, the overwhelming population of over 365 students could not be accommodated by the one block of two classrooms.
“We then borrowed some rooms in houses around and some uncompleted buildings to encourage learning. Even though the state government under former governor Dankwambo posted teachers to the school, but they could not take charge to build the school for us,” Safiyanu said.
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Alhaji Bello Yahaya a leader in the community told Daily Telescope that the community had been inviting government and government officials including the Emir of Gombe and other philanthropists in the state to sponsor the building of the school. “But the coming of Senator Danjuma Goje has ended our misery,” he said.
He explained that building the school would involve the purchase of houses and lands for the project, “which have been acquired and paid for by Goje, we are just waiting for him to come and kickstart the building.
“We just have to commend him for coming to our and his concern for our children’s.” education.
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On his part, Malam a member of the community criticized both past and present governments in the state for what he called “government’s slow to action in addressing the developmental needs of the community.
He said, “it is amusing to see that Tumfure being the very first community that welcomes any visitor to Gombe metropolis lacks a government school, a hospital, water, roads and other social amenities”.
