Katsina State Urban and Regional Planning Board URPB is among the government agency that benefitted from quality leaders and leadership.
With giant efforts of the past leaders of the Board many adjustments and inclusion were witnessed which resulted the transition of upgrading the Agency from Authority to Board
That’s why, the Board is recording huge successes in carrying out it’s constitutional responsibility.
Despite this effort the successive governments have did their possible best been giving the much needed attention to the Board to function well.
However, With the emergence of present administration of Dikko Radda, Katsina State Urban and Regional Planning has witnessed massive success and radical changes, in all aspects.
In the first instance, Governor Dikko Radda sermon a stakeholders engagement where he read a riot act on Urban and Regional Planning and other matters and promised not temper with the existing laws
Following this Political will of Dikko Radda administration, the Officials managing the affairs of Board feel motivated in carrying out their major task with out fear
Constitutionally, the Board has the mandate of ensuring proper town and regional planning, development control, building permit, hawking control among other things that will support proper planning.
That’s why, the present government of Malam Dikko Radda re- activated and renovate the Zonal Officies of the Board to ensure proper supervision at Zonal levels.
In a bid to booster development control and ensure total adherence to building regulations in the State, the government spent the sum of over Seven Hundred Million Naira, (*N700,000,000.00* ), for the purchase of Heavy Machinery such as Pay Loaders, Excavator, Load Bed, Tippers, Utility Vehicles and Motorcycles for constant supervision by development control Officers.
For a long period of time, the Board was in dire need of such equipment, but not realized until during Dikko Radda administration.
On the other hand, the government also employed more town Planners and other staff to justify huge amount spent for the procurement of the Machineries.
Another gesture done to Planning Board by Dikko Radda government is the appointment of experienced registered Town Planner Malam Abbas Sambo Rtp, Mnitp, as the General Manager of the Board.
With cooperations of the Management and other supporting staff, URPB recorded huge success in implementing development control law deligently and ensuring maximum compliance of building regulations, especially in some major Cities in Katsina State.
The recent, project initiated by the URPB General Manager TPL. Abbas Sambo and other professionals in the cycle is the demarcation and Beacons to the New Roads being constructed by Present State government under its Urban Renewal program, to setbacks from encroachment.
All these developments were achieved courtesy of the needed support and political Will of Gwagwaren Katsina in that regard
To the staff of the Board, it’s like the Hausa adage Kishirwa ta samu ruwan sha, domin dama suna son yin aikin Babu kwarin guiwa.
By and large, in the area of Lands administration Katsina State government has implemented contemporary technology-driven innovation to improve land use planning.
*To ensure maximum derivation and understanding of beneficial aspects of present government tit for tat in land and planning issues, there’s dire need of constant media and stakeholders engagement*
Pencilled by Yakubu Lawal
A Journalist And a public analyst
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