Chima Azubuike
The Deputy Governor of Gombe State, Manassah Jatau, on Tuesday inaugurated a 19-member State Taskforce Committee to tackle the misuse, abuse, and theft of nutritional commodities, directing members to ensure transparency, accountability, and strict oversight in the distribution of life-saving supplies across the state.
Speaking during the inauguration at the Deputy Governor’s Office Conference Hall, Jatau said the initiative reflects the administration’s firm resolve to protect critical nutrition interventions meant for vulnerable children and other at-risk groups.
He stressed that nutrition commodities, particularly those procured for the treatment and prevention of malnutrition, must reach intended beneficiaries without diversion or compromise.
Jatau said, “I thank God for giving us the opportunity to inaugurate this very important committee. “On behalf of Governor Muhammadu Yahaya, who is deeply committed to transparency and good governance, I urge you to discharge your duties with utmost integrity.”
He recalled that since assuming office on May 29, 2019, the administration had prioritised security, health, education, and agriculture.
“Although we have recorded significant milestones in the health sector, earning national and international recognition, malnutrition remains a pressing challenge, especially in the North-East geopolitical zone where Gombe belongs,” Jatau stated.
He cited global statistics indicating persistent high levels of malnutrition in Northern Nigeria and referenced the launch of the Nutrition 774 (N-774) initiative by the Vice President on July 8, 2025, aimed at addressing malnutrition across all 774 local government areas in the country.
Defining nutrition, Jatau said, “Nutrition is the process of eating the right kind of food so you can grow properly and be healthy. Good nutrition is fundamental to human growth and development.”
He lamented that malnutrition results in “weakness, stunted growth and other developmental challenges among children.”
The Deputy Governor highlighted several interventions undertaken by the state government, including the launch of the Gombe State Food and Nutrition Policy and Multisectoral Plan of Action (2023–2027), aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals and the agricultural policy of President Bola Tinubu.
He also listed the prompt release of counterpart funding for the procurement of Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food, the production of complementary feeds for moderately malnourished children in the 11 local government areas, and the establishment of Community-Based Management of Acute Malnutrition centres in six LGAs.
Other initiatives, he said, include the implementation of the Accelerating Nutrition Results in Nigeria (ANRIN) programme in seven LGAs, the introduction of GOHEALTH, and the research and development of “GARIN INUWA” by Dr Aishatu Maigari, now Commissioner for Education, which has been approved by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control.
Jatau said the newly inaugurated taskforce is mandated to “identify, check, stop and sanction anyone involved in the misuse, diversion, hoarding, destruction or theft of nutrition commodities.”
He directed the committee to co-opt one woman from each of the three senatorial districts to ensure broader representation.
According to him, the committee’s terms of reference include conducting monthly monitoring visits to health facilities and storage sites, investigating diversion cases, enforcing accountability guidelines, collaborating with security agencies and development partners, mapping risks in RUTF supply chains, deploying tracking tools such as barcode scanning and digital reporting applications, carrying out public sensitisation campaigns, and monitoring black-market sales.
“I am unable to congratulate you because the task is yet to be accomplished,” he told members. “You must justify the confidence reposed in you.”
In his acceptance speech, the Co-Chairman of the Committee and Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Salisu Alkali, described the taskforce as critical to protecting the state’s investments in child nutrition.
“We appreciate His Excellency for setting up this important committee. We assure you that we will diligently carry out our mandate and uphold the trust placed in us,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chief of Field Office, Bauchi Field Office of UNICEF, Dr Nuzhat Rafique, commended Gombe State for taking the lead in the region.
“Gombe is the first state in the North-East to establish such a taskforce. We hope other states will emulate this initiative,” she said.
Rafique disclosed that UNICEF and the state government had invested millions of dollars amounting to billions of naira in improving child nutrition in the state.
“Access to proper nutrition is a right of every child. RUTF is not ordinary food; it is a therapeutic medicine used to treat severe acute malnutrition,” she emphasised.
She called on governments at all levels, traditional rulers and community leaders to strengthen mechanisms for identifying and closing gaps in the distribution system.
The committee comprises representatives from key ministries, security agencies, development partners, civil society organisations, religious bodies, traditional institutions, media organisations and transport unions, reflecting what officials described as a multi-sectoral approach to tackling malnutrition and safeguarding nutrition commodities in Gombe State.
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