Dr Ishiyaku Musa Mohammed is currently the Special Adviser to His Excellency on Budget, Planning and Development Partner Coordination. Before his appointment by His Excellency last year, Dr Ishiyaku was a Deputy Director, working in Agricultural and Environmental sectors for the Government of Nigeria where he is confronted by development realities every day. He served as the Senior Technical Advisor for the Minister of State for Environment where he coordinates the Technical team supporting the Minister. The technical team is mainly responsible for ensuring that its new narrative of taking climate action, protecting the environment and empowering people is fully implemented within the Ministry in line with various technical departments. One of the many milestones he achieved is that he served as a member of a Presidential Committee set up to streamline operations of the ecological fund office working with State Governments to provide viable recommendations. In addition, he led a team that worked on the repositioning of the National Agency of the Great Green Wall (NAGGW) to ensure institutional linkages and synergy between development efforts of the communities and the Federal Government. He also served in that capacity with the immediate past Minister of Environment until May 2019. Prior to this he has volunteered as a Trustee and Technical Coordinator at the Center for Policy Research and Development solutions (CPRDS). In 2016, he led the Center in undertaking a research on the healthcare infrastructure and service delivery in IDPs camps in Nigeria and Refugee camps in Niger and Chad in collaboration with the Centre for Disaster Risks Management and Development Studies (CDRM &DS) at the University of Maiduguri, Borno State. The research was reviewed by an array of stakeholders including development partners and Civil Society at the regional level in March 2017 in Lagos. Between 2013 – 2015, he advised the Government of Nigeria on the planning, monitoring and evaluation of the Nigeria Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) Programme which was presented at the UN in October, 2014. Dr Mohammed had served as Head of the Conditional Grants Scheme in the Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the Millennium Development Goals in Nigeria on Special posting form the Department of Veterinary and Pest Control Services of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture. In this role, he coordinated the disbursement of grants to fund primary services to 37 sub-national governments. In this role, he guided the investments of over N40bn ($200m) annually for nationwide interventions in primary healthcare, and water and sanitation. Dr. Mohammed also led a new initiative to scale-up the grants to 113 Local Governments. This has been acknowledged as the largest scale-up of the MDGs in the world, which impacted on the lives of over 20 million of Nigeria’s poorest people. Prior to that, Dr. Mohammed was part of the core team engaged by the UNDP that designed and introduced a virtual poverty fund dedicating some N150bn ($750m) annually to pro-poor investments, as well as the ground-breaking monitoring & evaluation service delivery framework for it. A veterinarian by profession, Dr. Mohammed has helped guide agricultural research and planning in Nigeria for over a decade. He was with Pfizer Products Plc (Animal Health Division) as Technical Sales representative for Kano, Katsina and Jigawa States from 1994 to 1996. Between the year 1997 to 2000 and prior to joining the Civil Service, Dr. Mohammed was a Consultant (Agriculture and Food Supply) to the Petroleum (Special) Trust Fund. In this role, he helped to design the PTF Agricultural and Livestock intervention titled ‘Rehabilitation of Livestock Production Facilities and Procurement of Agricultural Inputs’ as well as the Pastoralists Development Programme. In addition, he served as the desk officer of the PTF funded, Masterplan study for the development of Fisheries sub-sector in Nigeria. In 2010, Dr. Mohammed was chosen as one of Africa’s emerging leaders by the African Leadership Institute West Africa (ALIWA) which is part of the Aspen Global Leadership initiative. Dr. Mohammed holds the degrees of DVM and MSc Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Dr. Mohammed is married with children.
The Political Adviser to His Excellency, Honorable Muhammad Alhaji Bello, PhD is a Political Historian, an academic and a political strategist. Born in 1971 in Gombe, Dr. Bello attended Herwagana Primary School and Government Comprehensive Day Secondary School, Gombe. He proceeded to the University of Maiduguri where he obtained a National Diploma is Sociology. He began his career in Gombe Local Government Council where he rose to become the head of Social Welfare section of the local government. Honorable Bello obtained his bachelor’s degree in History from the Gombe State University. After graduating as one of the top students in his class, Honorable Bello was employed as an academic to teach undergraduate history students in the University. In accordance with the requirements of the academic profession, he proceeded to obtain a Master of Arts degree in History from the University of Bakht Al-Ruda in Sudan. Shortly after the completion of his master degree, he was elected Member Gombe State House of Assembly representing Gombe (North) Local Government. While serving as a legislator, he continued his academic pursuits of research and teaching at his leisure time. He received his PhD in Political History from the International University of Africa, Sudan in 2019.
During his 4-year stint as a lawmaker, Dr Bello became not only the first member to sponsor a bill in the history of the House of Assembly, he set a record for being the sponsor of the highest number of motions on the floor of the House. He served meritoriously as the Chairman of the House Committee on Housing and Transport as well as the Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Education.
Dr. Bello’s research has been published in numerous local and international academic journals, book chapters in edited volumes, foreign and local conference proceedings.
A holder of many traditional titles, Dr. Bello is happily married with children.
The Special Adviser on Security Matters, Col Sani Adamu Depsia (Rtd) was born in Tudun/Wada Gombe in 1962. He attended Tudun/Wada Primary School from 1969 to 1975, Government Secondary Gombe from 1975 to 1980, Bauchi College of Science (BACAS) from 1980 to 1982 Nigeria Defence Academy 1984 and University of Ibadan 2016
Decorations: Force Service Star, Meritorious Service Star, Distinguished Service Star, Silver Jubilee Medal, Golden Jubilee Medal, Command Medal Pass, Staff Course, UNAMID Medal, United Nation Medal in Congo, General Operations Medal and Fellow Defence College.
Military Courses: Special Warfare Course, Support Weapon Course, Young Officers’ Course Infantry, Antitank Platoon Commanders’ Course, Junior Staff Course, Material Management and Works Study Course, Senior Staff Course and National Defence Course (Fdc).
Civil Qualifications: West African School Certificate, Advance Certificate in Management (ABU), Certificate in After Action Lesson Learned, and Masters in Strategic Studies.
Appointments Held: Platoon Commander (72 Airborne Battalion), Adjutant (81 Battalion), Instructor Special Warfare Wing (Nigeria Army School of Infantry), Administrative Officer (2 Brigade Camp), Company Second in Command (Nigeria Battalion 31 Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group), Battalion Second in Command (4 Guards Battalion), Instructor (Infantry Corps Centre and School), Officer Commanding (192 Battalion), General Staff Officer II (Headquarters 4 Brigade), United Nations Military Observer (United Nations Mission In Congo), Second in Command (1 Record Office), Staff Officer Grade II Movement (Headquarters 1 Division), Staff Officer Grade 1 Logistics (Headquarters 1 Division), Senior Instructor (Headquarters Infantry Corps Centre and School), Commanding Officer (26 Battalion/Nigerian Battalion 10 United Nations/African Union Mission In Darfur), Chief Instructor (Direct Short Service Commission Wing Nigerian Army School of Infantry), Member Training Team (Nigerian Army School of Infantry), Assistant Director Material (Defence Headquarters) and Deputy Commandant (Depot Nigerian Army).
Col Depsia (rtd) was appointed National Commander of Man O War Nigeria where he rebuilt the organization to a more robust National Volunteer Corp (from 2016 to 2020).
As a Captain he was deployed a Sector Commander at Bori/Gokana Area during Ogoni Crisis. He was also the Chairan Task Force on Recovery of Government Property, Chairman Environmental Sanitary, Chairman Salary Verification all in River State between 1995 to 1998.
Col Depsia attended several Seminars and symposium where he delivered papers on Volunteerism and Community Profiling amongst others.
Present work
Col Sani Adamu Depsia was appointed as Special Adviser on Security Matters by His Excellency, Governor Inuwa Yahaya. He participated in the production of an all encompassing security document for Gombe security Road Map.
Currently he is the Chairman of the Special Task Force on indiscriminate parking. The task Force was able to clear the roads of heavy duty trucks and thereby reducing the incidents of road traffic accidents. Additionally, through the Task Force revenue generation was enhanced through the use of the long abandoned Trailer Parking Bay at along Gombe-Bauchi road.
Col Sani Adamu Depsia (Rtd) was born in Tudun/Wada Gombe in 1962. Attended Tudun/Wada Primary School from 1969 to 1975, Government Secondary Gombe from 1975 to 1980, Bauchi College of Science (BACAS) from 1980 to 1982 Nigeria Defence Academy 1984 and University of Ibadan 2016
Decorations: Force Service Star, Meritorious Service Star, Distinguished Service Star, Silver Jubilee Medal, Golden Jubilee Medal, Command Medal Pass, Staff Course, UNAMID Medal, United Nation Medal in Congo, General Operations Medal and Fellow Defence College.
Military Courses: Special Warfare Course, Support Weapon Course, Young Officers’ Course Infantry, Antitank Platoon Commanders’ Course, Junior Staff Course, Material Management and Works Study Course, Senior Staff Course and National Defence Course (Fdc).
Civil Qualifications: West African School Certificate, Advance Certificate in Management (ABU), Certificate in After Action Lesson Learned, and Masters in Strategic Studies.
Appointments Held: Platoon Commander (72 Airborne Battalion), Adjutant (81 Battalion), Instructor Special Warfare Wing (Nigeria Army School of Infantry), Administrative Officer (2 Brigade Camp), Company Second in Command (Nigeria Battalion 31 Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group), Battalion Second in Command (4 Guards Battalion), Instructor (Infantry Corps Centre and School), Officer Commanding (192 Battalion), General Staff Officer II (Headquarters 4 Brigade), United Nations Military Observer (United Nations Mission In Congo), Second in Command (1 Record Office), Staff Officer Grade II Movement (Headquarters 1 Division), Staff Officer Grade 1 Logistics (Headquarters 1 Division), Senior Instructor (Headquarters Infantry Corps Centre and School), Commanding Officer (26 Battalion/Nigerian Battalion 10 United Nations/African Union Mission In Darfur), Chief Instructor (Direct Short Service Commission Wing Nigerian Army School of Infantry), Member Training Team (Nigerian Army School of Infantry), Assistant Director Material (Defence Headquarters) and Deputy Commandant (Depot Nigerian Army).
Col Depsia (rtd) was appointed National Commander of Man O War Nigeria where he rebuilt the organization to a more robust National Volunteer Corp (from 2016 to 2020).
As a Captain he was deployed a Sector Commander at Bori/Gokana Area during Ogoni Crisis. He was also the Chairan Task Force on Recovery of Government Property, Chairman Environmental Sanitary, Chairman Salary Verification all in River State between 1995 to 1998.
Col Depsia attended several Seminars and symposium where he delivered papers on Volunteerism and Community Profiling amongst others.
Present work
Col Sani Adamu Depsia was appointed as Special Adviser on Security Matters by His Excellency, Governor Inuwa Yahaya. He participated in the production of an all encompassing security document for Gombe security Road Map.
Currently he is the Chairman of the Special Task Force on indiscriminate parking. The task Force was able to clear the roads of heavy duty trucks and thereby reducing the incidents of road traffic accidents. Additionally, through the Task Force revenue generation was enhanced through the use of the long abandoned Trailer Parking Bay at along Gombe-Bauchi road.
Alhaji Garba Jijji Gadam is currently the Special Adviser inter-Governmental relations to His Excellency Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, The Executive Governor of Gombe State. His schedule of duty include coordinating the affairs the State Government with the Federal Government and other State Governments in the federation. He is as well a Governing Council Member of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria Orton for the pass two and half years.
He was also an adviser to former Governor Muhammadu Danjuma Goje. He was also the Hon. Commissioner of Information, Culture, Social Development and Sports under Late Governor Abubakar Habu Hashidu. He was elected the Chairman of Gombe Local Government Area from 1991 to 1993 and serve as ALGON Chairman for Bauchi State. He was also the State Chairman of the political party during the Abacha regime by name G. D. M and currently is a member of the state Elders Forum of APC in Gombe State and also the chairman Elders and stakeholders Forum for Kwami Local Government.
For his Civil Service career he was a former state of the northern state marketing board and Nigerian Cotton Board where he rose to the rank of an area manager in Kumo, Misau and Kuru Cotton Ginneries. He left the service in 1987 and since then has been in active Politics in Gombe Sate. He is married with Children and his hobbies include football and politics.
Mr. Birba Samu Godfrey Special Adviser on Drugs and Narcotics was born in Nyuwar in the year 1952 to the family of Mrs. Samu Jagabu Birba, heals from Nyuwar twon of Nyuwar/Jessu ward of Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State. A graduate of Estate Management and Post graduate Diploma in Public Administration. He also offers a Professional Course on Officers Basic Course (OBC), Crisis Management and Information Sharing Course – (UK), Advance Investigation Courses, Advance Surveillance Course, Advance Interrogation Course, Staff Management Course, Counter Terrorism Course – (Israel), Local Government Security Chief Course and Principal Staff Officers (PSO) Operations Course. Happily married and blessed with five (5) children.
Before his appointment as Adviser to His Excellency Executive Governor of Gombe State, he had worked with the department of State Security Service from where he retired as Director in the year 2012. After retirement he ventured into Farming and Politics. He was registered as a member of All Progressive Congress (APC) in April 2014. His core mandate as Adviser on Security Drugs and Narcotics by His Excellency include: Responsible to the SSG and answerable to the State Governor, advice Governor on all matters relating to Drugs and Narcotics and substance abuse in the State, conduct research to find ways of curbing the measure of Drugs and Substance Abuse, maintain strong synergy with the Ministry of Internal Security and other relevant Agencies such as the NDLEA, Community leaders, Civil Society Groups, NGO’s, Media and Principal Partners on the Rehabilitation of Victims of Drug Abuse and Any other duty that may be assigned by the Governor. He obtained a 21 years meritorious service award and Certificate of Honesty and Dedicated to Service. His Hobbies include Farming, Music, Travelling and Making Friends.
BARR CALEB UBALE is the Special Adviser on legal matters to His Excellency the Governor of Gombe State. He was born on 27th September, 1965 in Cham, Balanga LGA. He is married with Children. He is a private Legal Practitioner and the Principal of C. Ubale & Co. Aiseh Chambers. He was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1991, He obtained master of Laws from the University of Jos in 2010 and currently a Ph.D in Law Candidate in the University of Jos. He was Chairman Nigeria Bar Association Gombe State Branch from 2009-2011. He was part time member Fiscal Responsibility Commission, Gombe State from 2012-2019, Secretary Standing Committee for N30, 000.00 minimum wage Gombe State. Secretary Standing Committee on Chieftaincy Matters Gombe State. Chairman Standing Committee to review the Gombe State parastatals and agency Laws among others.