Despite the concerted efforts of the various governments in Nigeria to fight corruption and restore sanity in all aspects of governance, a former Caretaker Committee Chairman of Bauchi Local Government Council, Alhaji Usman Salisu Shira, has thrown away decorum and repositioned himself to scuttle the laudable efforts of Government for his selfish desire.
In a letter of petition addressed to the Chairman of Bauchi Local Government Council by Concerned Land Owners of W/Dada New Extension, a sprawling settlement near Bauchi metropolis and made available to journalists, it was stated that the said Usman Salisu Shira, who was once entrusted by the defunct Mu’azu administration to preside over the affairs of the Local Government, used that trust to abuse the confidence reposed in him by allocating to himself a parcel of land belonging to the Council and now so desperate to claim ownership of adjacent plots that legally belong to others to satisfy his penchant for wealth.
According to the petitioners, the parcel of land was sometimes in 2001, purchased from the original owner, late Magajin Garin Bauchi by the Local Government Council for its planned development purposes.
“The parcel of land located along Bauchi-Jos road, was purchased from Alhaji Garba Aminu by Bauchi Local Government Council for its development programme. When Usman Salisu resumed office as Caretaker Committee Chairman in 2004, instead of implementing the development plan of the Council, he quietly and corruptly shared out the parcel of land to himself and few others that supported his dubious action against laid down rules and regulations. Not satisfied with his own share of the loot and to satisfy his penchant for property, he perfected a plan and annexed the neighboring plots belonging to others without their conscience and misused his office to obtain a Certificate of Occupancy covering the said parcel of land from the administration he was serving. Having obtained a Certificate of Occupancy through the back door, he now started issuing threats and frustrating the efforts of those he annexed their legitimate plots when ever they show any intention to develop their legitimate plots”.
Disturbed by his constant threat and harassments, the legitimate plot owners reported their case to the then Bauchi Local Government Council for intervention and the original designer of the parcel of land in dispute, Garba A. Gital was invited to state his case’
In his written statement to the Chairman Bauchi Local Government Council, Gital said, “Over a complain by Alhaji Usman Salisu, former Chairman Caretaker Committee, Bauchi Local Government Area on encroachment into land allocated to him i.e Plot C1, I, the original designer wishes to forward the following designs marked A and B for your information and necessary action so as to avoid unnecessary dispute, please”.
Gital copied his statement to Bauchi State Commissioner for Justice to serve as notice for future reference having known the tricks usually applied in such situations by Usman Salisu.
A careful study of the design submitted to the Local Government Council, it was discovered that Usman Salisu had only one allocated plot of land, Plot C1 an allocation that is questionable on the parcel of land yet he remains ungrateful and determined to seize other plots from their legitimate owners.
On receipt of the petition, Bauchi Local Government Caretaker Committee Chairman, Barrister Lawal Baba Ma’aji Abubakar said no stone will be left unturned in the matter and promised the petitioners the application of justice, “I have received your petition with concern and I can assure you that we shall look into it with concern to your plight. We shall not relent on our efforts to doing what is right for equity and justice but please exercise patience and wait for the outcome of our investigation”.
Speaking to journalists, leader of the petitioners, Ameh Aboyi said, “The man is heartless and very uncompromising. We have been respecting his age and the responsible positions he occupied but from all indications, he does not respect himself. The parcel of land he is claiming, we all know does not belong to him but belongs to the Local Government Council since some of us are witnesses to the transaction. Perhaps Usman wants to get a better bargain from the Church he is negotiating with and that is why he is determined to deprive the Local Government Council its own remaining share of the parcel of land including those of others against all odds. But we shall maintain our patience until the Council reacts”, he said
