Ahmad Saka, Bauchi
A one time Bauchi State gubernatorial.candidate under the African Liberation Party ALP Alhaji Umar Musa Gwaskwaram has appealed to Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed and the State House of Assembly to create more emirates and districts in the State in the interest of justice and fairness and bring more development in the State.
Gwaskwaram said this today when he briefed newsmen in Bauchi, he said the effort of the Governor strengthened traditional institutions in the State, but some areas were shortchanged and the governor and the legislators need to be more strong and create the new Emirates in Katagum and more districts in Bauchi emirate in the interest of justice and fairness.
He said the proposed new Emirates are Zaki and Sakwa Emirates, Itas and Gadau Emirate and Shira and Disina Emirate, from the present Katagum Emirate. He stated that some of the oldest kingdoms in Bauchi State, such Kingdoms of Tashena, Shira and Mashema, which emerged between 1,000 and 1,400 AD, are from this areas.
In Bauchi Emirate Munmunsal and Gwaskwaram areas were neglected since colonial era. They have been left without governance they don’t have anything they were marginalized. Districts, ward and village heads need to be created in the area as a strategic step towards grassroots development.
Gwaskwaram lauded the Governor’s recent creation of 14 emirates and 144 additional District Heads because the initiative would enhance the delivery of democratic dividends to the people.
He said out of the 14 additional emirates created 8 are from Bauchi emirates ,they are Bununu, lere, Darazo,Duguri,Toro, Lame, Jema’a and Sayawa Chiefdom, three were created out of Ningi emirate they are,Burra, Ari and Warji, one from Misau and only two were created out of Katagum.emirate that has seven local government areas , it will be good if the government will look in to it in the interest justice and fairness.
Gwaskwaram who was a one time Special adviser to Governor Isa Yuguda on Giade Local government area, appealed to Governor Bala to go further by creating additional Emirate Councils across the state to accelerate socio-economic growth and improve accessibility to traditional leadership.
He Expressed optimism, that the Governor and the state Assembly would answer their call to fulfill the wishes of the people and to be fair to them.
Gwaskwaram said there is the need for the Governor and the State Assembly to look into the merit of creation of additional districts even if some self centred stakeholders opposed it to achieve their selfishness
He reminds the governor that in issues of governance, he should not entertain any interference few individuals but rather do what will bring sustainable development to the people who elected him.
He said every body knows that the Katagum Emirate is vast and difficult for the Emir of Katagum to regularly tour all districts, making it necessary to establish the suggested three new Emirates that would “bridge the gap and enable traditional institutions to function more effectively at the grassroots and in order to be fair and just to the people of the State.
He said even the Sokoto Caliphate was balkansed in the interest of development so also states and local governments were created to replace regional government in the interest of development.
Gwaskwaram outlined the potential benefits of the move to include the promotion of socio-economic development, wider distribution of democratic dividends, fair sharing of political positions on a character-balanced formula, and healthy competition in implementing government policies and programmes
