Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State has announced a donation of N20 million to the victims of a fire disaster at the Gombe State University.
The governor announced the donation when he visited the university to sympathise with staff and students, following a fire outbreak that occurred last Thursday night at the Female Hostel Annexe.
He announced that the N20 million should be released immediately and be disbursed directly to the victims as immediate relief, as well as to other students through the Student Representative Council (SRC).
Governor Yahaya directed that the funds be released and made available to the students without delay by Tuesday (today).
He further ordered for the immediate commencement of plans for the construction of a new, befitting hostel to replace the damaged facility.
Yahaya also urged students to remain law-abiding, resilient, and focused on their academic pursuits, reiterating his administration’s commitment to education, safety, and student welfare across the state.
‘We came purposely to commiserate with the students, management, and staff of Gombe State University over the unfortunate incident that happened in the girls’ hostel, which destroyed a part of it, an incident that really touched the hearts and lives of our people.
‘I was so worried because when I saw the fire on social media, I reached out to the stakeholders, especially the fire brigade and also the management of the university. The Vice Chancellor told me that they had been able to control it. And we felt that we needed to come and commiserate with you, and to see for ourselves, so that we know the next possible action to take, in order to prevent and curtail the possibility of such an incident happening again,’ he said.
The governor also directed the Commissioner for Higher Education and Commissioner for Works, Housing, and Transportation, to coordinate and ensure that a new building is put up to replace the destroyed hostel, to accommodate more students.
In his response, the Registrar of the institution, Dr Abubakar Aliyu Bafeto, expressed profound gratitude to the Governor for his prompt visit and generous intervention.
He reiterated that no life was lost in the incident and noted that the university community remains deeply appreciative of the Visitor’s compassion and swift response.