8th August, 2023
The Office of the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Sustainable Development Goals, OSSAP-SDGs has described as false, reports in some media platforms that it abandoned or diverted classrooms and toilet projects in some communities in Gombe State.
“OSSAP-SDGs wishes to state that the report is nothing but a tissue of lies and figment of the imagination of the writer.
“The report was deliberately concocted to malign the good image of the Office and cast aspersion on the laudable work being carried out by the Office as are evident in the numerous state-of-the-arts projects implemented across the country,” the Office said in a statement issued on Wednesday.
While further disputing claims in the report, OSSAP-SDGs noted that contrary to the claims in the story, it did not award any contract nor pay any contractor for construction of any block of six classrooms and VIP toilet at Hammadu-Kafi Primary School, along Biu Bypass.
“Also, no staff of OSSAP-SDGs has ever visited Hammadu-Kafi Primary School for any measurement, survey or demarcation as alleged in the publication. The said school is not known to OSSAP-SDGs,” said the Office.
The Office also described as false, the claims in the report that it diverted block of six classroom with VIP toilet meant for Kindiyo Primary School, in Balanga Local Government area of the state to Nomadic School, Kolu, a different community, which is not the original beneficiary of the project.
The Office said its intervention was based on requests by community leaders who also identified the specific school its intervention was needed.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the project, like others, was executed with the supervision of the facilitators in the community and subsequently handed over for use by the beneficiaries.” said the Office.
The Office also faulted claims that the media aide to the SSAP-SDGs, Desmond Utomwen, submitted fake images to mislead the reporter who wrote the report.
OSSAP-SDGs, while confirming the authenticity of the pictures of the block of classrooms within the premises of the Skills Acquisition Centre noted that each Skill Acquisition Centre built by the Office comes with a block of six classrooms for additional skills that cannot be taught inside the main buildings.
“It is pertinent to state that in line with the standard practice of constructing block of classrooms within the premises of the Skill Acquisition Centre by OSSAP-SDGs, a contract was awarded to Cocoon Nigeria Ltd for the construction of 1No six classrooms block at the Skill Acquisition Centre, along Biu Byepass, Akko LGA, Gombe State.
“The project has since been completed and handed over for the use of the beneficiaries after it was commissioned by the Governor of Gombe State, Mohammed Inuwa Yahaya in company of the Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Amina Mohammed.
In conclusion, OSSAP-SDGs noted that Gombe State has been a proud beneficiary of numerous projects from OSSAP-SDGs including a fully equipped state-of-the-art 120Bed Mother and Child Hospital at Mallam Inna, Gombe LGA, 20 Bed Primary Health Centre at Kindiyo, Balanga LGA, Conference Hall and Snake Bite Hospital in Kaltungo, Construction of 72 units Market Lockup Shops at Kashere, Akko LGA, Gombe Central, Construction of 1no 8.5kw Microgrid in Kumo Town & 1no in Shinga Town, Gombe-State, Construction of 1no 8.5kw Microgrid each in Zambuk Town, Kashere Town, Kumo Town, Akko Villa and Kalshingi Cottage Hospital, Gombe-State among others.
“With an avalanche of projects executed by OSSAP-SDGs across the state attracting commendation daily, we can only deduce therefore that the spurious allegations by the publication, are a product of the medium’s wide imagination and we therefore enjoin them to always cross check their facts before rushing to press and desist from peddling fake news,” OSSAP-SDGs concluded.