By Idris Khalid
Over 20, 000 cartons of assorted drugs and medical consumables were donated to the Bauchi state government by the North East Development Commission to control cholera outbreak in the state.
Presenting the drugs to the state government yesterday, the commission managing director and chief executive officer Mohammed G. Alkali said the gesture was to support the state government’s efforts to prevent citizens from cholera outbreak.
He observed that the drugs and medical consumables supplied to the government will bridge the gap in the state’s cholera outbreak response to curb mortality and spread of the disease.
“There is also a need to focus more on long-term prevention measures such as ensuring clean water and hygiene measures for communities to prevent widespread future outbreaks.”
Alhaji Mohammed Alkali disclosed that the commission also trained and graduated 580 youth on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the state and equipped with starter packs.
According to him, the commission has established ICT resource training centres in each of the 6 states of the North East, hosted by tertiary institutions in the states.
“The overall objective is to improve access to ICT resources within the region and equip the teeming youths including those out-of-school across the region with the necessary vocational and educational skills, and tools that can make them self-reliant”, Alkali said.
He added, “It is a highly intensive hands-on programme that takes the selected participants through specialized training in graphic design and smart phone repairs, including basic entrepreneurship development, computer appreciation and bookkeeping for small businesses.”
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed had while receiving the items, said the state government was committed to the provision of quality and effective healthcare services in the state.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Mr. Aminu Gamawa, the Governor commended the commission for its humanitarian programmes in the sub-region, and wished that the crop of youths trained by the commission would constitute a hope for creativity where they can think freely and have tools to work.
