Governor of Bauchi State Bala Mohammed has asserted that the total landmass of Bauchi State is not fully captured in the Nigerian constitution.
He listed five local government areas in the state that the constitution failed to take full cognisance of their landmass size and potentialities.
The governor said Toro, Alkaleri, Bauchi, Ningi and Katagum landmass sizes and potentialities were improperly documented, stressing that Toro and Alkaleri ought to have been divided into several LGAs.
Bala Mohammed spoke on Wednesday in Toro, headquarters of the councils when he flagged off the construction of a 42-kilometre road from Geljaule to Lame which was awarded to Messrs Habib Engineering Ltd at a cost of N14.216 billion to deliver within 24 months.
He said 30 percent payment of the project’s total cost had been made to the contractor.
The governor said the construction of roads is among projects that his administration is undertaking to open up all the nooks and crannies of the state.
Bala Mohammed said that toro local government area is bigger than some states in Nigeria, adding that it would have been divided into three local government areas, not one as it is now, stressing that “Bauchi State is cheated within the comity of states in Nigeria”.
He added, “I wish I was there during the Constitution review exercise when the constitution of Nigeria was done or crafted. Toro Local Government Area alone in terms of size is up to one state in another part of the country. I want to seize this opportunity to say it publicly”.
“Bauchi as the headquarters of a state is the only emirate with only one Local Government Area, with a radius of 50km round the city with over 1.5 million population. The people of Toro should talk, and the people Bauchi.
“In other places, you can have Bauchi South, East or West Local Government Area, but because of injustice, we are still what we are. In terms of development, we need more resources than other states, we need more LGs in the state, but we are abandoned and left suffering”, the governor cried out.
Senator Bala expressed appreciation for the overwhelming love and affection the people of Toro have been showing to him, especially during the last general elections.
The governor also hoped that the road, upon completion, would serve as the key enabler of investment flow, especially in the area of agriculture.
