By Oyewale Oyelola
When Ibrahim was born 55 years ago, I am sure his parents prayed for him to be successful and make impact in his generation but they did not know their son would one day emerge as the Executive Governor of Gombe State.
Today, nature has smile on Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwanbo who is breaking new grounds by embarking on developmental projects in all the 11 local government areas of the state.
This astute administrator and a seasoned Chartered Accountant studied Accounting at the prestigious Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, holds a Masters degree in Economics from University of Lagos and crowned his academic pursuit with PhD from Igbinedion University, Okada.
Governor Dankwanbo started his career in a reputable audit and consulting firm-Coopers & Lybrand immediately after he graduated from ABU in 1985. He joined Central Bank of Nigeria in 1988 and left the apex bank in 1999 to serve his state as Accountant General. The outstanding performance of a fellow of Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in Gombe state prompted former President Olusegun Obasanjo to appoint him as Accountant-General of the Federation in 2005.
His achievements include the e-payment system cum introduction of Integrated Payment and Payroll Management System (IPPS) for payment of salaries of federal government workers. The e-payment system has helped to promote transparency, accountability and blocked leakages. The full implementation of e-payment has led to discovery of over 10,000 ghost workers from 2009 till date, thereby reducing monthly wage bill of federal government with billions of naira.
The Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) which is already generating additional income for federal government was introduced during the days of financial expert as Accountant-General of the Federation.
Governor Dankwanbo also played active role in the process that led to introduction of highly celebrated Treasury Single Account (TSA) in 2012.
No doubt, the incumbent governor of Gombe State who had served as Chairman of Forum of Accountant-General and Auditor-General of Federation in West Africa is indeed changing the narratives in his state with implementation of laudable programmes and policies. He is working round the clock to take Gombe State to enviable heights among states in Nigeria.
For sure, there is hope for a better Nigeria with the likes of Governor of Gombe State, Ibrahim Hassan Dankwanbo