The leadership of Special Education Deaf Old Students Association, SPEDOSA, (a union of former Deaf students of Special Education Centre, Gombe) on Wednesday 12th October, 2022 paid a courtesy visit to office of the chairman, State Universal Basic Education Board, SUBEB, Hon Babaji Babadidi.
The visit, INN confirmed, was a thank you visit to appreciate the many good works and people oriented initiatives of the SUBEB management at the Special Education Center, Gombe.
According to the visiting team, these initiatives have added positive vigor to learning activities at the center.
Speaking during the courtesy visit, SPEDOSA President, Comrade Nura Bashir, appreciated the SUBEB Chairman and staff for the timely and consistent attention given to the association
His words: “Firstly, we are immensely grateful to the Executive Chairman of SUBEB, Hon Babaji Babadidi and the entire staff and management of SUBEB, Gombe State for the prompt response and attention given to us.
“This recognition is highly appreciated and will forever be remembered by members of Special Education Deaf Old Students Association SPEDOSA, the entire Deaf Community of Gombe State, and Nigeria at large.”
“Secondly, I wish, on behalf of all former students of Special Education Centre Gombe, to use this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to Alh Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya, the Executive Governor of Gombe State, the entire staff and management of SUBEB, Gombe State, for all the good things they have done, and are still doing to our alma mater”
“As former students of the Center, we must appreciate SUBEB for working round the clock to provide educational facilities like teaching aids, building of classrooms, hostels, employment of special teachers, among other educationally – focused initiatives.
This is indeed commendable and worthy of emulation by other educational stakeholders in the State. We pray Allah reward you for this kind gesture.”
Meanwhile, the SPEDOSA President also used the opportunity to plead with the SUBEB hierarchy to address some knotty issues facing the school.
He said: “I deem it appropriate at this juncture to draw the attention of your Honourables on some pressing problems facing the center and need urgent attention from government and relevant educational stakeholders in Gombe State.”
Presently, the centre has overtaken other special schools in the entire North Eastern region in terms of patronage and productivity. Students from across the six North Eastern states are currently studying at the centre. This makes it the best in the zone”
“Unfortunately the school environment is being ravaged by erosion, leaks in the roof, lack of security, lack of adequate teaching staff, amongst others”.
Bashir added, “Its our ardent hope that the authority will look into these longstanding problems and, hopefully come up with solutions to maximize learning activities among students with Disabilities (SWDs), not only in Gombe State but the entire North Eastern part of the country.”
Responding to the issues tabled before him. The SUBEB chairman, Hon Babaji Babadidi, assured the students leaders on his readiness to address the problems facing the center.
He noted that no school under SUBEB’s watch in Gombe State has received more attention than the Special Education Centre, Gombe.
According to him, “Alhaji Inuwa Yahaya is an education friendly Governor who had been sponsoring blind students from Primary to university levels.”
“His Excellency provided the resources used for building the six block of classrooms and renovating and equipping the female hostels with beds and mattresses. He also sponsored the building of staff quarters, renovation of school kitchen, employment teachers and many others to make life better for the students”, the SUBEB chairman added.
On the pressing security challenge in the metropolis, the chairman noted: ” the government is planning to relocate the centre to a peaceful location within the State metropolis.”
SUBEB officials at the meeting included the Director, Special School, Mohammed Abdullahi, Director Project Monitoring, Abubakar Abba and Information Officer, Rebecca Phanuel.