Bauchi State Assembly advocates for restoration and creation of additional Local Government areas

By Rabiu Ishaq

Bauchi State House of Assembly has advocated the need for the restoration and creation of additional Local Government areas in Bauchi.
The call was contained in a motion moved by member Representing Disina constituency Sale Hodi Jibir during plenary presided by speaker Abubakar Y. Sulaiman.
Presenting the motion, Sale Hodi Jibir, said the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended, has empowers a state house of assembly to create new Local Government areas, subject to the fulfillment of specific conditions, including a request support by two thirds majority of members of the state assembly and local government councils followed by a referendum and subsequent approval.
According to him, the creation of local government areas in Bauchi, can foster equitable distribution of resources, empower local communities and accelerate socio economic progress.
He noted that, several communities within Bauchi State have made formal and informal requests for autonomy and the creation of new local government areas citing reasons like geographical size, population density, cultural peculiarities and administrative challenges.
The lawmaker added that it is the responsibility of the state legislatures to give due consideration to these legitimate yearnings and aspirations of the Bauchi citizens in line with the constitutional mandate to promote the welfare and good governance.
Sale Hodi Jibir in his prayers, appealed to the house to constitute a special adhoc committee to receive and scrutinize all formal requests and memoranda from communities desiring the creation of new local government areas, engage with relevant stakeholders including traditional rulers, community leaders and existing local government Councils, to ascertain the viability and genuinesnes of such requests.
Others are, the need to conduct thorough investigation, including geographical assessment, demographic studies and analyses potential administrative and financial implications for proposed local government areas.
In a Debate on the motion, other state lawmakers, Jamilu Umaru Dahiru, Musa Wakili Nakwada, Ibrahim Tanko Burra, Builder Sa’idu Sulaiman Darazo, Dr. Nasiru Ahmed Ala among others, supported the move and called for expedite action on the creation of additional local government areas in Bauchi State.

Meanwhile, the state house of assembly has adopted the report of the committee on Public Service on the complaints of omission and under payment of pensioners in local government payroll of Bauchi State.