By; Mohammed Kawu, Bauchi
A paramount traditional titlder in Bauchi, Ambassador Adamu Aliyu has said that the essence of state creation is not to fund any individual, but to ensure the various units demanding a new state are given the opportunity to grow faster and elongate the lives of their people through good governance.
Ambassador Adamu Aliyu explained that the creation of state for the agitators will also improve the quality of lives of their people through sustained projects execution to meet their yearnings and aspirations, hence the demand for the creation of Katagum state is legitimate and desirable.
Aliyu, who holds the traditional title of ‘Walin Katagum’ in the state, expressed confidence that those in authority, specifically the National Assemble and Federal Government will one day find an easy way to create additional states, particularly Katagum state by accepting the ideas of the units that are asking for the state.
He exclusively told abcnews Sunday that the three agitating units of Katagum, Misau and Jama’are emirates will conduct a referandum as resulta of which the demand for the creation of Katagum would become a reality.
Alh. Adamu Aliyu, a one-time Nigeria’s Ambassador to the Republic of Japan added, “The people around Katagum, Misau and Jama’are, the proposed Katagum state or any other name found to be suitable to call the new state of Katagum, Misau and Jama’are Emirates, a referendum would be 99.9 percent showing the need for the state”.
Ambassador Aliyu described the creation of additional states in the country as continuous processss, as the demand by people of the three emirates to have a state of their own is legitimate, and will serve the interest of the people in that particular area.
“The agitation for the creation of additional states, whether Katagum or any other one is a continuous process. Let me take you back to the early60ss w60sthe whole of the 19 Northern states of today were all one region and one government, today we have 19 states”.
On the issue of insecurity or banditry ravaging the country, the former ambassador attributed the root cause of all the problems bedevibedevilingia to scarcity of jobs, saying “It is one of the major causes security, and banditry or whatever name you call it”.
According to him, “Every responsible government must create jobs, not just create jobs without the skills assignment, they must find a way to enhance the services of government and employ more staff”.
“In the process, those that have served their various terms or about to finish their terms, they have maybe two years left, should go on voluntary retirement so that government can create vacancies for people who are waiting to be employed”.
He concluded, “There is an enormous number of institutions, educational institutions in particular at the middle level, meaning secondary schools that are not properly staffed, governments, federal and states must create funds, seeks assistance from International or organizations provide additional funds to run these institutions effectively”.