By Idris Shehu
Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi Tuesday expressed delight that the lands dispute committee set up by the state government did not recommend for the removal of any traditional ruler in the state.
“I don’t think there is any recommendation the committee has done that has gone too far to say that one Emir or District head should be removed, so it’s just putting square pegs in square holes”, he said.
The Governor disclosed this yesterday while receiving the report of the Administrative Committee on Inquiry into land disputes between Herders and Farmers caused by land use abuse and illegal allocation in all the twenty Local Government Area of the state.
He said the state government will come up with a white paper on the basis of the recommendations and to set up an implementation committee to ensure due process and justice to all those involved.
He also said the implementation committee would be assisted with consultants in urban and regional planning and other professionals so as to resolve the issue amicably.
“With the petitions and memoranda made me happy that Bauchi state is alive and everybody is conscious and human right is coming to the fore and we will make sure that justice and equity are done to everybody.”
“It is unfortunate at this century when our fathers have done so much to establish cattle routes and reserves for environmental sustainability, but our lands are being allocated illegally and this must be reversed.”
Governor Bala, expressed confidence that the recommendations of the committee will bring to an end, farmers and herders clashes across the state..
“You have identified some critical areas and you have given recommendations of resolving them.I thank you must sincerely for your patriotism and professionalism in the discharge of your duties.”
Earlier, the Chairman of the Committee, Surveyor Yahaya Baba said the committee in the course of its assignment, recieved more than 1000 petitions and memoranda from critical stakeholders.
He said farmers/herders conflict is a great threat to security that needs to be checked and therefore the proactive approach of the governor to set up the committee to check the threat need not be over emphasized.
He said the committee interacted with all the stakeholders in the twenty Local Government Areas of the state followed by a technical inspection of all the identified problem areas for in-depth analysis.
Surveyor Yahaya Baba appealed to Governor Bala Mohammed to make useful use of the committee’s recommendations in order to achieve sustainable peace between farmers and herders in the state.
