Gombe State government has awarded contracts for the construction of 11 new district head palaces in Funakaye and Shongom local government areas.
The initiative, spearheaded by the state’s Joint Project Development Agency (JPDA), is to invest in traditional institution and community infrastructure.
JPDA in a statement on Saturday explained that the beneficiaries of the project include Wawa, Ribadu, Magaba, and Bage district head palaces in Funakaye LGA.
Others are Gundali, Gwandum, Filiya, Kushi, Burak, and Bangunji in Shongom LGA.
With this latest development, the total number of newly constructed or upgraded district head palaces in Funakaye has risen to 12, covering all districts in the local government area.
Similarly, all seven district heads in Shongom are now beneficiaries of the government’s palace development initiative.
Speaking at the official handover of project sites to contractors, the director general of JPDA, Builder Mahmood Yusuf, represented by Mohammad Umar, head of the agency’s monitoring and evaluation unit, urged contractors to strictly adhere to project specifications.
He warned that substandard work will not be tolerated, adding that the state government is committed to ensuring value for money and quality infrastructure that will stand the test of time.
According to JPDA, the initiative follows the completion of similar projects in Kwami and earlier phases in Funakaye, which are now reportedly 100% completed.
The agency maintained that the construction of the palaces is expected to improve administrative efficiency, promote cultural heritage, and strengthen the role of traditional rulers in conflict resolution and local governance.
