Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State has assured traditional rulers that the ongoing move to create additional emirates and districts is not intended to undermine their authority or diminish the status of the traditional institution.
The governor who received the report of the committee charged with the responsibility of carrying out the exercise in Bauchi, explained that the reform aligns with his administration’s commitment to enhancing governance, eliminating ungoverned spaces and fostering community participation and self-actualisation across the state.
The committee recommended the creation of additional 13 new emirates and two chiefdoms and 111 districts in the state.
Governor Bala said that the move was also in fulfilment of his electioneering campaign promises dating back to 2019 when he aspired for the Bauchi governorship seat.
According to him, it is not only in fulfillment of the political promises made, but also to deepen local governance, enhance identity, and strengthen the invaluable roles of traditional institutions, as custodians of peace, unity and development.
The governor while acknowledging the pains the exercise may have caused some monarchs in the state, recalled however that similar practices had taken place across the country, and even beyond the African continent.
“It is in consonance with the established practice in the country in various states where the traditional institutions have been unbundled and provided data and statistics for development, and distribution of take away from the federation account in terms of number of emirates, districts and villages,” he said.
Governor Bala Mohammed further explained that his administration also found it expedient and timely to revisit the issue to address the long standing demands.
Governor Bala further stated that the role of traditional rulers is to serve as catalyst for mobilisation towards communal and social development programmes, and fostering social cohesion, among others.
The governor assured the monarchs and communities that the government would implement the committee’s recommendations fairly with the dignity of existing institutions respected while expanding the opportunities for leadership and representation at all levels.
He commended the committee for what he described as undertaking a transparent and painstaking exercise, and praised the methodology, models, and templates used in carrying out the assigned responsibility.
Presenting the report earlier, the chairman of the committee, Hamza Koshe Akuyam revealed that they received a total of 196 memoranda, 17 for the creation of Emirates, 166 for Districts, and others for Chiefdoms.
