Bauchi Gov inaugurates C’tee on new Emirates, Chiefdoms Creation
By Samuel Luka,
Bauchi
The recent High-powered Committee appointed by Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state has been inaugurated.
Speaking during the inaugural ceremony at the EXCO chamber of the government house Bauchi, Governor Mohammed stated that the action is necessitated by the commitment his administration made during the electioneering campaigns.
He added that the move to create more Emirates, Chiefdoms and districts is in response to widespread agitations across various communities.
“Government had therefore found it expedient and timely to revisit the issue. This initiative seeks to address the long-standing demands underpinned by historical legitimacy, social equity and grassroots consensus”, the governor explained.
According to Governor Mohammed, the intention of the govement is not only in fulfilment of the political promises made but to deepen local governance, enhance cultural identity and strengthen the invaluable role of traditional institutions as key promoters and custodians of peace, unity and development.
He said, across history, traditional institutions in Bauchi state have served as pillars of communal cohesion and as catalysts for progress, adding that the expansion of such institution through new administrative units will consolidate peace building efforts, foster inclusivity and empower communities to participate meaningfully in governance.
He further explained that the rationale for the creation of additional Chiefdoms, Emirates and Districts is grounded in the need for the promotion of peace, progress, stability and development.
Bala Mohammed said the role of the monarchs is to serve as catalysts for mobilization towards communal and social development programmes and fostering social understanding amongst them.
The governor maintained that the realization that the existing traditional institutions have proven to be effective in strengthening unity and mutual understanding and as rallying point for communities to freely express themselves and pursue their common objectives.
He stressed that the move to create more Emirates, Chiefdoms and districts was due to increasing consciousness by communities of the need to preserve and project their identities and historical linkages as groups and communities as well as the right for self-determination and actualization as enshrined in the Constitution in order to provide socio political balance.
Other reasons for the move include; providing proactive conflict prevention mechanisms to eliminate mutual suspicion and discontent often expressed by way of recurring ethnic or communal clashes that had left indelible scars in our history, addressing our diversity and satisfactorily managing our identity justice system and to ensure transparency, credibility and inclusiveness, among others.
Bala Mohammed assured that the process will follow a structured framework anchored on due diligence and wide stakeholder consultation.
Governor Mohammed said that the Committee is broad-based consisting of eminent sons and daughters of the State selected from each of the 20 Local Government Areas.
He expressed hope that the Committee shall be guided in all its recommendations by equity and fairness while ensuring socio-political inclusiveness and financial sustainability for the Emirates, Chiefdoms or Districts to be created.